Characteristics and trends of medical diagnostic errors in the United States.
Ao HS, Matthews T. Characteristics and trends of medical diagnostic errors in the United States. Patient Safety. 2024;6(1):123603. doi:10.33940/001c.123603.
Diagnostic errors account for a significant proportion of malpractice lawsuits and payouts. In 20 years of closed malpractice claims, diagnostic errors comprised 26.6% of cases, 39% of which resulted in death. Failure to diagnose and delay in diagnosis were the most common specific allegation types. Overall, diagnosis-related allegations trended downward; however, inpatient allegations trended upward. Payment was higher for men than women, suggesting an area for further research.