Doctors can make at least one error in diagnosis, and it may be enough to result to disastrous consequences. If these errors at not corrected, they may only get worse.
This is the finding of a new Institute of Medicine report as part of the Quality Chasm Series. Three more reports, which have already been published, make up the series.
According to an article published in the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, the diagnostic error may be qualified as either delayed or inaccurate and that the team behind the report believes efforts to correct these mistakes have been "limited."
The team also expressed the difficulty of getting the information they need for the report. Not only were the data required sparse, but tools that can help them measure or assess these errors do not exist. However, based on the strong evidence they had acquired, they learned that one of the biggest reasons is the lack of proper collaboration among the patient, the doctors, and the family.
According to the committee chair John Ball, it's not accurate to think that the sole responsibility of making a diagnosis relies on a single doctor. Diagnostic errors, moreover, may also not be human error. But a diagnosis should be a "collective" effort as the patient works with his own core team composed of the primary physician, radiologist, pathologist, nurses, and other health care professionals.
The report also points out to other diagnostic errors including the lack of disclosure and transparency with regard to these errors, thereby preventing the possibility to learn from the mistakes and improve health care processes.
The team recommends making electronic health records more accessible and giving patients more opportunities to know about their disease. States and other relevant stakeholders also have the authority to enact laws or regulations that promote transparency and disclosure, while health care professionals must be encouraged for voluntary reporting.