AHRQ’s Patient Safety Network Primer Identifies Sources of Diagnostic Errors and Steps for Prevention

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. Select to access the full patient safety primer, titled “Diagnostic Errors."