Study: Basic doctor errors result in missed, delayed diagnoses

PHILADELPHIA -- Basic errors made by doctors, including tests ordered too late or not at all and failure to create follow-up plans, played a role in nearly 60 percent of cases in which patients were allegedly hurt by missed or delayed diagnoses, a study found.

Researchers in the study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine on Monday, reviewed 307 closed medical malpractice claims, 181 of which allegedly involved diagnostic errors that ended up harming patients. A large majority of those cases involved various types of cancer.

While researchers acknowledged that most claims involved several factors, they said major ones included mistakes by doctors: failure to order appropriate diagnostic tests (100 cases); failure to create a proper follow-up plan (81); failure to obtain an adequate history or perform an adequate physical examination (76); and incorrect interpretation of tests (67).

Doctors not involved with the study said the findings highlight the fact that physicians and patients need to err on the side of caution when it comes to ordering diagnostic tests, keeping detailed records and doing follow-up.

"It seemed like the bottom line was that the problems were problems that would occur less if a person was just very compulsive or very diligent," said Dr. Steven Sorscher, an oncologist at Washington University Medical School in St. Louis. "It highlights the fact that the causes of serious errors are often preventable." ...

•	Study: Basic doctor errors result in missed, delayed diagnoses Associated Press State & Local Wire, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2006 Byline: Patrick Walters, Associated Press Writer

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