Diagnostic discordance, uncertainty, and treatment ambiguity in community-acquired pneumonia: a national cohort study of 115 U.S. Veterans Affairs hospitals. October 9, 2024

https://psnet.ahrq.gov/issue/diagnostic-discordance-uncertainty-and-treatment-ambiguity-community-acquired-pneumonia Diagnostic discordance, uncertainty, and treatment ambiguity in community-acquired pneumonia: a national cohort study of 115 U.S. Veterans Affairs hospitals. Jones BE, Chapman AB, Ying J, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2024;177(9):1179-1189. An accurate diagnosis of pneumonia ensures that appropriate treatment can be administered in a timely manner. In this large retrospective study, researchers compared hospital admission and discharge diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia. More than half of patients had a discordant diagnosis at discharge. EHR notes described more uncertainty for patients with discordance. This study highlights the importance of understanding diagnostic uncertainty in pneumonia-related care.