Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.
Skip to main content
Study

Clinician-identified problems and solutions for delayed diagnosis in primary care: a PRIORITIZE study.

Car LT, Papachristou N, Bull A, et al. Clinician-identified problems and solutions for delayed diagnosis in primary care: a PRIORITIZE study. BMC Fam Pract. 2016;17(1):131. doi:10.1186/s12875-016-0530-z.

Save
Print
October 5, 2016
Car LT, Papachristou N, Bull A, et al. BMC Fam Pract. 2016;17(1):131.
View more articles from the same authors.

Compared with other patient safety issues, diagnostic errors have received little attention until recently. Missed or delayed diagnoses are a common reason for malpractice claims. This study sought to determine barriers and solutions to delays in diagnosis in primary care. Investigators sent a questionnaire to more than 500 clinicians and received 113 responses. Participants identified 33 discrete problems associated with delays in diagnosis and suggested 27 solutions. The main issues included inability to meet patients' care needs and inadequate communication between secondary and primary care. The top solutions included improving training of primary care doctors and enhancing communication among providers as well as between providers and patients, especially around test results. An Annual Perspective discussed diagnostic errors in more detail.

Save
Print
Cite
Citation

Car LT, Papachristou N, Bull A, et al. Clinician-identified problems and solutions for delayed diagnosis in primary care: a PRIORITIZE study. BMC Fam Pract. 2016;17(1):131. doi:10.1186/s12875-016-0530-z.