Burden of serious harms from diagnostic error in the USA (19 January 2024)

Summary

Diagnostic errors cause substantial preventable harms worldwide, but rigorous estimates for total burden are lacking. This study estimated the annual US burden of serious misdiagnosis-related harms (permanent morbidity, mortality) by combining prior results with rigorous estimates of disease incidence. It found that an estimated 795 000 Americans become permanently disabled or die annually across care settings because dangerous diseases are misdiagnosed. Just 15 diseases account for about half of all serious harms, so the problem may be more tractable than previously imagined.

The theme of this year's World Patient Safety Day on 17 September is 'Improving diagnosis for patient safety'. Find out more.