Diagnostic discordance, health information exchange, and inter-hospital transfer outcomes: a population study.

Usher M, Sahni N, Herrigel D, et al. J Gen Intern Med. 2018 May 29; [Epub ahead of print].

This study examined the extent of differences in diagnosis before and after interhospital transfers. Patients whose diagnoses differed between the first and second hospital were at higher risk of mortality during hospitalization. Hospital transfers where a health information exchange (HIE) was in place had fewer diagnostic changes and lower mortality. The authors call for improving electronic communication during acute care transfers.

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