Antibiotic timing and errors in diagnosing pneumonia.
Welker JA, Huston M, McCue JD. Antibiotic timing and errors in diagnosing pneumonia. Arch Intern Med. 2008;168(4):351-6. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2007.84.
This study found that efforts to meet a publicly reported quality measure on the timing of antibiotic administration in patients with pneumonia in fact led to decreased accuracy in making the diagnosis. A past AHRQ WebM&M commentary discussed the unintended consequences of achieving a good report card on such measures.