Diagnostic Errors and Abnormal Diagnostic Tests Lost to Follow-Up: A Source of Needless Waste and Delay to Treatment
Abstract
Diagnostic errors are an important and often underappreciated source of medical error, needless delays to treatment, and needlessly wasted resources. Almost 65% of diagnostic errors have an important contribution of system errors, of which many are an abnormal test result that was lost to follow-up, that is, missed results. These system problems that contribute to missed results may represent low-hanging fruit for those who wish to reduce diagnostic errors in their institution. The rate of missed results and associated treatment delay are discussed. The system factors and human factors that contribute to these errors are discussed along with strategies that can be adopted to reduce these errors.
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Outpatient care is often busy and fragmented, making follow-up of abnormal laboratory test results prone to error.
“Outpatient care is often busy and fragmented, and therefore follow-up of abnormal laboratory test results is prone to error.”
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- Authors
- Wahls, T.
- Affiliations
- University of Iowa (US)
- Corresponding author
- Wahls, Terry
- ORCID
- Wahls, Terry
- Venue
- Journal of Ambulatory Care Management
- Published
- 2007-10
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 338-343
- ISSN
- 0148-9917 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2312308362
- Cited by
- 21
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2023: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 1.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Ambulatory Care Management (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Family Practice › Clinical Reasoning and Diagnostic Skills
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Emergency Medical Services › Patient Safety and Medication Errors
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Clinical Laboratory Practices and Quality Control
- Keywords
- diagnostic errors, loss to follow-up, system errors, human factors, treatment delay, medical errors, outpatient care
- MeSH terms
- Ambulatory Care, Continuity of Patient Care, Diagnostic Errors, Diagnostic Tests, Routine, Humans, Quality of Health Care, United States
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