Diagnostic Errors in Hospitalized Adults Who Died or Were Transferred to Intensive Care
jamanetwork.com
This cohort study assesses the prevalence, underlying causes, and harms of diagnostic errors among hospitalized adults who died or were transferred to intensive care.

Findings: In this cohort study of 2428 patient records, a missed or delayed diagnosis took place in 23%, with 17% of these errors causing temporary or permanent harm to patients. The underlying diagnostic process problems with greatest effect sizes associated with diagnostic errors, and which might be an initial focus for safety improvement efforts, were faults in testing and clinical assessment.

  • SinningStromgald@lemmy.world
    7·
    9 months ago

    I’m honestly surprised the number is so low.

    My SO as a teen had a mass in their neck which turned out to be thyroid tissue. Due to their age the doctor at the time decided testing for cancer was not needed after removing the excess tissue.

    A little over ten years later during a regular exam a doctor again finds a mass in their neck. Ultrasounds are done and a biopsy. Turns out the mass is cancer, thyroid cancer. Two partially successful surgeries where vocal cords were injured both times by an ENT we finally went to a hospital specislizing in cancer treatment. More tests are done and cancerous tissue is found all around their neck and far deeper than the ENT had even bothered to look. A third and final surgery along with radioactive iodine and my SO is cancer free with a joker like smile on their neck, a slightly changed vocal pitch and no thyroid.

    The specialist said, but couldn’t confirm since the tissue from a decade ago was destroyed, that if the first doctor over a decade ago had bothered to test what was removed then all these surgeries could have been avoided. The only reason they probably didn’t test was due to my SO’s age since thyroid cancer in a highschool teenager is rare. If the thyroid removal could have been avoided if proper treatment had been done is unknown. But the large scar and the accompanying smaller ones could have. And they said the ENT while certainly able to do the surgery should have referred my SO to them either immediately or after the first surgery when it should have been clear the problem was bigger than anticipated.

    We never pursued any malpractice or anything because by then we were emotionally exhausted and my SO’ depression hit an all time high.