New Study: Inaccurate or Delayed Diagnoses Resulted in 34 Percent of Malpractice Cases Involving Serious Harm

New Study: Inaccurate or Delayed Diagnoses Resulted in 34 Percent of Malpractice Cases Involving Serious Harm



Inaccurate or Delayed Diagnoses Resulted in 34 Percent of Malpractice Cases Involving Serious Harm

The Society for Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) today released new research that found inaccurate  or delayed diagnoses are the most common, most catastrophic and most costly of medical errors.  The SIDM-funded study, published in the journal Diagnosis, found that about one in three  (34 percent) of malpractice cases resulting in serious harm is due to an inaccurate or delayed  diagnosis. Researchers also found that 74 percent of inaccurate or delayed diagnoses that result  in permanent disability or death are attributable to three disease categories: cancer, vascular  events and infections

Improving diagnosis in medicine is a priority for AHRQ, which is working with SIDM and others in the field to apply evidence-based patient safety strategies, predictive analytics, personalized and precision medicine and new technologies at the point of care. AHRQ’s research efforts have led to the development of numerous practical tools and resources to improve diagnostic safety.