When doctors get it wrong: misdiagnoses are getting a closer look.

Newspaper/Magazine Article

When doctors get it wrong: misdiagnoses are getting a closer look.

September 9, 2015

Olsen J. Star Tribune. August 30, 2015.

View more articles from the same authors.

Diagnostic error is garnering increased attention as a patient safety problem. This news article reports on how misdiagnosis may lead to patient harm, cognitive biases that can contribute to diagnostic errors, and a curriculum aimed at improving diagnostic reasoning.

Free full text

Related Resources From the Same Author(s)

Will false diagnosis cost Minnesota girl her life?

January 18, 2012

Minnesota hospitals are testing ways to reduce return trips.

October 24, 2012

How business intelligence can improve patient safety.

September 14, 2005

Over-the-counter medicines' benefits and dangers.

December 9, 2015

Never events: Utah hospitals saw nearly 60 serious errors in 2007.

September 3, 2008

Drug error at Eskenazi Hospital killed prominent cancer researcher. Here's how it happened.

November 11, 2020

Avoidable sepsis infections send thousands of seniors to gruesome deaths.

September 19, 2018

FDA Drug Safety Communication: FDA warns about prescribing and dispensing errors resulting from brand name confusion with antidepressant Brintellix (vortioxetine) and antiplatelet Brilinta (ticagrelor).

August 12, 2015

Tomorrow's operating room to harness Net, RFID.

November 2, 2005

Clinical ICT Systems in the Victorian Public Health Sector.

November 20, 2013

To combat physician burnout and improve care, fix the electronic health record.

April 11, 2018

Pharmacy dispensing errors: claims study emphasizes need for systematic vigilance.

March 25, 2015

How Veterans Affairs failed to stop a pathologist who misdiagnosed 3,000 cases.

September 11, 2019

Move toward full use of metric dosing: eliminate dosage cups that measure liquids in fluid drams. Use cups that measure mL.

July 8, 2015

Family of woman who died after a medical error joins hospital's safety panel.

October 19, 2011

Medical culture about errors may be changing.

September 19, 2007

Medical misdiagnoses can have fatal consequences.

July 6, 2011

For Colorado mom, story of daughter's hospital death is key to others' safety.

March 4, 2015

'America's other drug problem': copious prescriptions for hospitalized elderly.

September 14, 2016

Nearly 90 major medical mistakes logged at Utah hospitals in 2008.

July 8, 2009

Continuous Improvement of Patient Safety: The Case for Change in the NHS.

November 25, 2015

Preeminent hospitals penalized over rates of patients’ injuries.

February 19, 2020

Dangerous doses.

February 24, 2016

AHRQ Health Services Research Projects: Making Health Care Safer in Ambulatory Care Settings and Long Term Care Facilities (R01).

March 4, 2015

The Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Ebola Crisis: A Perfect Storm of Human Errors, System Failures and Lack of Mindfulness.

February 10, 2016

2014 Guide to State Adverse Event Reporting Systems.

July 8, 2015

Unexpected Death of a Patient During Treatment With Multiple Medications, Tomah VA Medical Center, Tomah, Wisconsin.

September 16, 2015

From Safety-I to Safety-II: A White Paper.

August 5, 2015

Engineering a Learning Healthcare System: A Look at the Future: Workshop Summary.

July 27, 2011

A national safety board made transportation safer and could do the same for health care, advocates say.

June 7, 2023

Medication mistake kills toddler at hospital-run care facility.

June 9, 2010

Managing the risks of direct oral anticoagulants.

August 7, 2019

Introducing the New SOPS Hospital Survey 2.0.

October 30, 2019

Reused devices, surgery's deadly suspects.

January 18, 2006

This man wants to heal health care.

November 2, 2005

The Report of the Morecambe Bay Investigation.

April 29, 2015

WISH Patient Safety Forum 2015.

January 13, 2016

Warning of missed patient safety alerts in NHS.

September 1, 2010

Why hospitals want patients to ask doctors, 'Have you washed your hands?'

October 9, 2013

Nurses: Guilty verdict for dosing mistake could cost lives.

April 13, 2022

Doctors wrestle with A.I. in patient care, citing lax oversight.

November 8, 2023

Healthcare wants to fly as high as the aviation industry. Can it?

November 8, 2023

Addiction is ‘A disease of isolation’ — so pandemic puts recovery at risk.

April 15, 2020

Hospital errors jeopardize Angola virus battle.

May 11, 2005

Ireland investigates cervical cancer screening scandal.

May 16, 2018

Final Report of the Ockenden Review.

April 27, 2022

Seattle pilot’s misdiagnosis highlights challenges around coronavirus testing.

April 15, 2020

Re-Engineered Discharge (RED) Toolkit.

March 27, 2013

Clash in the name of care.

November 4, 2015

Addiction treatment providers in Pa. face little state scrutiny despite harm to clients.

May 12, 2021

L.A.’s poorest patients endure long delays to see medical specialists. Some die waiting.

October 14, 2020

Scanner beep only means the barcode has been scanned.

July 13, 2011

Fatal PCA adverse events continue to happen...better patient monitoring is essential to prevent harm.

June 19, 2013

Two steps forward and one step back for patient safety?

August 17, 2005

How your hospital can make you sick.

August 26, 2015

IHI Skilled Nursing Facility Trigger Tool for Measuring Adverse Events.

January 27, 2016

A girl dies during restraint at hospital already criticized for problems.

August 11, 2010

How one hospital improved patient safety in 10 minutes a day.

November 14, 2018

Survey shows room for improvement with two new ISMP Targeted Medication Safety Best Practices.

August 12, 2020

Addressing the Global Shortages of Medicines, and the Safety and Accessibility of Children's Medication.

February 24, 2016

The overlooked danger of delirium in hospitals.

June 24, 2015

Minimizing medical mistakes: mother's mission to reduce hospital errors.

June 3, 2015

The misery of a doctor's first days.

October 14, 2015

Safely Home: What Happens When People Leave Hospital Care Settings?

August 26, 2015

Medical abbreviations that have contradictory or ambiguous meanings.

February 12, 2020

RCA2: Improving Root Cause Analyses and Actions to Prevent Harm.

June 24, 2015

ANA CAUTI Prevention Tool.

April 8, 2015

Improving Patient and Family Engagement in US Hospitals.

April 1, 2015

Partnering to Improve Quality and Safety: A Framework for Working With Patient and Family Advisors.

April 8, 2015

America's Hospitals: Improving Quality and Safety—The Joint Commission's Annual Report 2015.

December 2, 2015

Free From Harm: Accelerating Patient Safety Improvement Fifteen Years After To Err Is Human.

December 16, 2015

Introducing the AHRQ Ambulatory Surgery Center Survey on Patient Safety Culture.

June 24, 2015

Nurses seek to reduce long hours and fatigue.

February 11, 2015

Report suggests trend in prescription drug errors filled by pharmacists.

February 25, 2015

Consumer Guide to Adverse Health Events.

February 28, 2015

Community Living Centers: VA Needs to Strengthen Its Approach for Addressing Resident Complaints.

January 19, 2022

Developing a principle-based approach to safe medication practices.

November 11, 2015

Your new medical team: algorithms and physicians.

December 16, 2015

Weak oversight allows lab failures to put patients at risk.

May 27, 2015

Freedom to Speak Up: A Review of Whistleblowing in the NHS.

May 27, 2015

Service members are left in dark on health errors.

April 29, 2015

Patient Safety Risk Management Playbook.

February 10, 2016

Toolkit for Reducing CAUTI in Hospitals.

December 9, 2015

Root Cause Analysis Playbook.

February 17, 2016

Getting the diagnosis wrong.

October 21, 2015

A medical detective story: why doctors make diagnostic errors.

October 7, 2015

Petty, dangerous, disruptive doctors: watch out!

August 12, 2015

When should surgeons stop operating?

July 1, 2015

Improving Patient Safety Culture Through Teamwork and Communication: TeamSTEPPS.

July 1, 2015

2015 Patient Safety Core Topics and Tips.

March 27, 2013

Guidelines for Adult IV Push Medications.

February 11, 2015

Do cell phones belong in the operating room?

August 5, 2015

AHRQ Safety Program for End-Stage Renal Disease Facilities—Toolkit.

February 4, 2015

FDA begins inquiry after death and illness from saline bags meant for training.

January 28, 2015

Fentanyl transdermal system (marketed as Duragesic) information.

July 10, 2015

Oral chemotherapy: not just an ordinary pill.

September 9, 2015

Selection of incorrect medication pump leads to chemotherapy overdose.

September 16, 2015

Engaging as partners in patient safety: the experience of librarians.

April 8, 2009

The Ethics of Using QI Methods to Improve Health Care Quality and Safety.

August 16, 2006

Black Box Thinking: Why Most People Never Learn From Their Mistakes—But Some Do.

January 13, 2016

Related Resources

Annual Perspective

Equity in Patient Safety

March 27, 2024

Patient Safety Innovations

Patient and Family Centered I-PASS (Family-Centered Communication Program to Reduce Medical Errors and Improve Family Experience and Communication Processes)

January 31, 2024

Annual Perspective

Improving Diagnostic Safety and Quality

April 26, 2023

Not ‘just depression.’ She seemed trapped in a downward mental health spiral. The real cause was a profound shock.

February 3, 2021

A night in the hospital, from both ends of the stethoscope.

January 20, 2021

Inside the epidemic of misdiagnosed women.

April 29, 2020

Your diagnosis was wrong. Could doctor bias have been a factor?

December 11, 2019

Clinical reasoning as a core competency.

October 30, 2019

Patient Safety.

September 25, 2019

Patient Safety Primers

Patient Safety 101

September 7, 2019

Six ways to lower errors—and unnecessary surgeries—in radiology exams.

August 21, 2019

Lives Lost, Lives Saved: An Updated Comparative Analysis of Avoidable Deaths at Hospitals Graded by The Leapfrog Group.

June 12, 2019

Patients as diagnostic collaborators: sharing visit notes to promote accuracy and safety.

May 22, 2019

Diagnostic Excellence Initiative.

November 7, 2018

My human doctor.

October 17, 2018

You've detailed your last wishes, but doctors may not see them.

April 11, 2018

Transgender patients and diagnostic safety: back to basics.

March 14, 2018

Clearing the Error: Using Public Deliberation to Define Patient Roles as Partners in the Diagnostic Process.

November 8, 2017

Defining and measuring diagnostic uncertainty in medicine: a systematic review.

October 18, 2017

The key to reducing doctors' misdiagnoses.

September 20, 2017

Why are so many women being misdiagnosed?

August 30, 2017

Sophisticated digital aids could help determine what ails you.

August 2, 2017

A boy's life is lost to sepsis. Thousands are saved in his wake.

April 26, 2017

Extent of diagnostic agreement among medical referrals.

April 12, 2017

The War on Error: Common Diagnostic Errors.

March 8, 2017

Diagnostic accuracy of GPs when using an early-intervention decision support system: a high-fidelity simulation.

February 22, 2017

War games and diagnostic errors.

January 18, 2017

Wounded care: failure at one Indian Health Service hospital reveals a system in crisis.

December 14, 2016

Five simple steps to avoid becoming a medical mystery.

December 14, 2016

Misdiagnoses: a hidden risk of genetic testing.

November 16, 2016

See More About The Topic

Clinical Misdiagnosis