The role of diagnostics
For many families who suffer loss as a result of a medical error, the desire to find out who’s at fault to blame them is a natural reaction. While medical mistakes can occur at any point in a healthcare transaction, a 2015 report by the National Academy of Medicine3 indicates that diagnostic errors contribute to approximately 10 percent of all patient deaths, and 6 to 17 percent of adverse events that occur in the hospital setting.
“When a diagnosis is not made accurately and rapidly, what ensues are therapies that don’t work, as well as possible complications of an untreated disease,” said Dr. Michael Laposata, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pathology at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. “The associated costs in both circumstances are enormous and put a significant strain on the fiscal management of healthcare systems.”
To help prevent medical errors, laboratory leaders must take a pro-active role in assuring the correct tests are being performed at the correct time, following up to make sure the test results procured are accurate, and communicating those results clearly and quickly to other medical professionals.
“Laboratory leaders can provide effective consultation for physicians and other healthcare providers who order laboratory tests,” Dr. Laposata noted. “They have the ability to offer advice on the appropriate selection of laboratory tests and on the clinical meaning of the test results.”
However, Dr. Laposata points out that existing barriers within most U.S. healthcare systems often hinder collaboration between laboratorians and doctors.
“The small reimbursement paid for this consultative service is provided only to medical doctors with M.D. or D.O. degrees, and that’s just one example,” he explains. “Other factors include the prospect of lawsuits associated with misdiagnoses, and the unwillingness of many hospital leaders who know little about their value to provide support for diagnostic teams.”