AJR Podcasts Understanding Diagnostic Errors: AJR Podcast Series on Diagnostic Excellence and Error, Episode 2
Jul 31, 2024
David Newman-Toker, a leading expert in diagnostic error and professor at Johns Hopkins University, joins Francis Deng, MD, to unveil the alarming prevalence of diagnostic errors in medicine. They discuss how up to 15% of diagnoses might be incorrect and emphasize the hidden dangers in emergency departments and outpatient care. The conversation highlights the critical role radiology plays, particularly in missed fractures, and the challenges of accurately diagnosing dizziness related to strokes, introducing innovative approaches like the SPADE analytical method.
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Prevalence of Diagnostic Errors
- Diagnostic errors in medicine are very common but precise rates vary widely by setting and disease.
- In emergency departments, 5-10% of diagnoses are incorrect or delayed, while radiology errors tend to be lower, around 1%.
Diagnostic Errors Cause Major Harm
- Diagnostic errors cause substantial patient harm, including up to 800,000 deaths or permanent disabilities per year in the US.
- Diagnostic error is likely the biggest contributor to serious medical harms, surpassing other causes in malpractice claims.
Big Three Diseases and Errors
- The "big three" disease categories most impacted by diagnostic error are vascular events, infections, and cancers.
- Common diseases are missed at lower rates, while some rare diseases are missed at very high rates, causing most serious harms.