Diagnostic delays among COVID-19 patients with a second concurrent diagnosis.
Freund O, Azolai L, Sror N, et al. Diagnostic delays among COVID‐19 patients with a second concurrent diagnosis. J Hosp Med. 2023;18(4):321-328. doi:10.1002/jhm.13063.
The COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented numbers of patients seen in the emergency department (ED), some who had COVID-19, some who had a different diagnosis, and some who had both. This study analyzes patients who presented to the ED with COVID-19 and signs of another diagnosis that was missed. Approximately one-third of patients with a second concurrent diagnosis experienced a diagnostic delay. Factors that may have influenced the missed diagnosis include ED overcrowding and anchoring heuristics.