Failure to communicate blood test results to patients may result in delayed diagnosis or treatment. In this study, UK primary care patients and general practitioners (GPs) were asked about their experiences with the communication of blood test results. Patients and GPs both expected the other to follow up on results and had conflicting experiences with the method of communication (e.g., phone call, text message).

Patient safety in primary care is an emerging focus. This cross-sectional study across primary care clinics in England explored the main factors contributing to patient-reported harm experiences. Factors included incidents related to communication, care coordination, and incorrect or delayed; diagnosis and/or treatment.

… operating rooms by the same surgeon—has been identified as a potential safety risk. This single-institution study found …

… focus. In this study, investigators described the use of a patient safety toolkit across 46 outpatient family …

… care and health policy … Health Expect … Patients have a vital voice in improving safety , as they may report events …

Patient reporting has been shown to identify adverse events that would otherwise not have been detected. This survey study found that patient age and health as well as safety culture in primary care were associated with patient reports of adverse events. The authors suggest targeting safety interventions toward these patient and practice characteristics.

Prior research has shown that cognitive errors and logistical breakdowns contribute to delayed cancer diagnoses. This cohort study suggests that the presence of comorbid medical conditions is associated with delays in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer.

… reports on the development and preliminary validation of a novel survey to evaluate patient perceptions of safety in … primary care. Eliciting patient concerns about safety is a key element in broader efforts to engage patients in safety. …

This systematic review revealed that few validated instruments exist to measure patient safety in primary care. This finding underscores the need to develop and validate measurement tools in order to further ambulatory patient safety.