目的:「醫療事故預防及爭議處理法草案」首設道歉法則,令醫界疑慮道歉反而增加訴訟風險。方法:在聯合國194個會員國暨屬地和行政特區,以「道歉」或「憐憫」為關鍵詞,搜尋有道歉法則立法之區域,分析其架構並與本草案比較,再提出建議。結果:全球共有五個國家和一個特別行政區有立法用於醫療傷害,皆為普通法系區域,道歉法則主要適用於民事訟訴。英聯邦國協和舊殖民地與美國在限縮道歉陳述成為實質證據和程序證據互有異同。道歉法則的合法性限制,包括內容表達範圍、道歉對象、時間、程序、場合等。而我國之道歉法則是在草案第七條,對上述內容只呈現模糊概念或從缺。結論:本草案被寄望能夠緩和醫病關係緊張,建議必須將道歉法則之法律要件清楚說明,避免往後爭議不休。
Purpose: The bill titled "Medical Error Prevention and Dispute Management" contains the Apology Law that puzzles for increasing medical litigations. This study was aimed to compare and analyze the Apology Law worldwide to provide for policy making Methods: We searched for countries or districts that have legalized the Apology Law for medical damage by using the keywords "Apology" and "Sympathy." Results: Apology laws have been passed in five countries and in one administrative district. The law is primarily used in civil proceedings. Similarities and differences are observed in the procedures for the Hearsay rule, voluntary admission, and the overall evidence in the Commonwealth countries and the United States. The apology laws of these countries are also limited by the extent of the apology, target, time, procedure, and scenario. The Apology Law is embedded in Article 7 of the aforementioned bill. However, the law is not as comprehensive as the apology laws in other countries. Conclusions: This bill is highly expected to improve the physician-patient relationship; however, its current form should be reviewed to avoid disputes in the future.