Characteristics and contributing factors of diagnostic error in surgery: analysis of closed medico-legal cases and complaints in Canada. April 3, 2024

https://psnet.ahrq.gov/issue/characteristics-and-contributing-factors-diagnostic-error-surgery-analysis-closed-medico Characteristics and contributing factors of diagnostic error in surgery: analysis of closed medico-legal cases and complaints in Canada. Kwan JL, Calder LA, Bowman CL, et al. Can J Surg. 2024;67(1):e58-e65. Research into diagnostic errors frequently focuses on hospitals, emergency departments, and primary care, with less focus on surgical diagnostic errors. This study used medico-legal cases and complaints to characterize surgical diagnostic errors. Most errors occurred post-operatively (e.g., failure to recognize clinical deterioration) and were attributed to providers’ clinical decision-making.v