Reforms needed to address medical diagnostic errors

Most Americans will fall victim to at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, and when this occurs, it often can be deadly, according to a new report released on September 22 by the Institute of Medicine, which advises the US government and policymakers. The report called for greater emphasis on improving diagnoses in the United States and reducing the number of errors, which they defined as either an inaccurate or delayed diagnosis.
"Diagnostic errors are a significant contributor to patient harm that has received far too little attention until now," said National Academy of Medicine President Victor Dzau.
According to the report, diagnostic errors cause about 10 percent of patient deaths. Studies of patient medical records also suggest that 6 percent to 17 percent of "adverse events," or harms that occur to patients during a hospital stay, resulted from diagnostic errors. Many diagnostic errors occur when doctors do not communicate with colleagues, patients and family members. And in the current hospital culture, many doctors are not aware of the errors they make, said the institute, one of the National Academies of Sciences.