Healthcare Management

Improving Diagnosis in Health Care

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The delivery of health care has proceeded for decades with a blind spot: Diagnostic errors—inaccurate or delayed diagnoses—persist throughout all settings of care and continue to harm an unacceptable number of patients. For example:
• A conservative estimate found that 5 percent of U.S. adults who seek outpatient care each year experience a diagnostic error. • Postmortem examination research spanning decades has shown that diagnostic errors contribute to approximately 10 percent of patient deaths. • Medical record reviews suggest that diagnostic errors account for 6 to 17 percent of hospital adverse events. • Diagnostic errors are the leading type of paid medical malpractice claims, are almost twice as likely to have resulted in the patient’s death compared to other claims, and represent the highest pro- portion of total payments.
In reviewing the evidence, the committee concluded that most people will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, sometimes with devastating consequences. Despite the pervasiveness of diagnostic errors and the risk for serious patient harm, diagnostic errors have been largely unappreciated within the quality and patient safety movements in health care. Without a dedicated focus on improving diagnosis, these errors will likely worsen as the delivery of health care and the diagnostic process continue to increase in complexity.

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Detail Information

Series Title

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Call Number

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Publisher

: ., 2015

Collation

1-473

Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

978-0-309-37769-0

Classification

NONE

Content Type

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Media Type

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Carrier Type

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Edition

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Subject(s)

Improving Diagnosis in Health Care

Specific Detail Info

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Statement of Responsibility

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