Background: Diagnostic errors (DE), defined as missed opportunities to make a correct or timely diagnosis based on the available evidence, are a critical but understudied cause of patient harm. While previous efforts have focused on examining the incidence and factors contributing to DEs in ambulatory and emergency room settings, fewer studies have examined incidence of [...]

Background: Diagnostic errors have been cited as a potential contributor to hospital readmissions, particularly early readmissions (e.g. within 7 days), but little is known about their frequency and characteristics. We performed structured chart review of all medical patients readmitted within 7 days of discharge from a single academic medical center to describe the prevalence of [...]

Background: Diagnostic errors (DEs) represent ongoing threats to patient safety in the hospital. Little is known about the factors present on admission that can predict DE during the hospital encounter. Such knowledge is essential for prospective identification of hospitalized patients at risk for DE who can be targeted for early intervention. The purpose of this [...]

Background: Diagnostic errors (DEs), or the failure to accurately identify or provide timely explanations of a patient’s health problem, are a significant source of patient harm. DEs occur in up to 23% of adult inpatients who transfer to intensive care units (ICU) or die. Few studies have examined how clinician team composition impacts DE risk. [...]

Background: Diagnostic errors have been cited as a potential contributor to hospital readmissions, particularly early readmissions (e.g. within 7 days), but little is known about their frequency and characteristics. We performed structured chart review of all medical patients readmitted within 7 days of discharge from a single academic medical center to describe the prevalence of [...]

Background: Diagnostic errors (DEs) represent ongoing threats to patient safety in the hospital. Little is known about the factors present on admission that can predict DE during the hospital encounter. Such knowledge is essential for prospective identification of hospitalized patients at risk for DE who can be targeted for early intervention. The purpose of this [...]

Background: It is important to understand knowledge about diagnostic error, such as cognitive bias and heuristics, for preventing a diagnostic error. However, it is unclear whether Japanese residents learn this knowledge. We aimed to assess diagnostic error knowledge in residents throughout Japan and compare it to the benchmark of the previous US score. In addition, [...]

Background: Despite a commitment to high-quality medical education, diagnostic errors continue to be pervasive. Clinical presentations with nonspecific symptoms and diagnoses with wide differentials are prone to diagnostic errors; dizziness may be the epitome of this conundrum. Dizziness is a common symptom, costly to assess, and frequently misdiagnosed. Diagnostic decisions have high stakes, given the [...]

Background: Although diagnostic errors are common in hospitals, little is known about the resulting economic burden. Whether the increasing attention to patient safety has led to a decrease in diagnostic error-related claims and cost over time is also unknown. Using a publicly available dataset, we examined incidence costs and outcomes associated with diagnostic errors in [...]

Background: While understanding the cognitive contributions to diagnosis has become important, few studies have aimed to understand physician diagnostic reasoning in real-time. Using a case-based approach, we sought to: (a) characterize differences in diagnostic reasoning among hospitalists; and (b) identify factors associated with diagnostic accuracy. Methods: A total of 10 hospital medicine attending physicians from [...]