Patient Safety Update: Primer Identifies Sources of Diagnostic Errors and Steps for Prevention

Patient Safety Update: Primer Identifies Sources of Diagnostic Errors and Steps for Prevention

Patient Safety Update: Primer Identifies Sources of Diagnostic Errors and Steps for Prevention

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) sent this bulletin at 07/16/2013 05:11 PM EDT

A Harvard Medical Practice Study found that diagnostic errors accounted for 17 percent of preventable errors in hospitalized patients, and a systematic review of autopsy studies covering four decades found that approximately 9 percent of patients experienced a major diagnostic error that went undetected while the patient was alive. Taken together, these studies imply that thousands of patients die every year due to diagnostic errors.  A new primer available on AHRQ’s Patient Safety Network identifies the cognitive biases and health system problems leading to diagnostic errors and steps to prevent both. 

To access the full patient safety primer titled Diagnostic Errors, go to http://psnet.ahrq.gov/primer.aspx?primerID=12.