Fumbled handoffs can lead to medi...(that the results of these tests needed t...),Health

Date:8/7/2009

that the results of these tests needed to be followed up. In the patient safety arena, this is what you call a 'fumbled handoff' - and it leads to medical errors." said Martin Were, M.D., MS., first author of the study. Dr. Were is a Regenstrief Institute investigator and an assistant professor of medicine at the IU School of Medicine.

While it is easy to blame busy health-care providers for poor quality of discharge summaries, the problem largely reflects a failure in the system, according to Dr. Were. Similarly, in its seminal report 'To Err is Human', the Institute of Medicine advocates for changes in current systems to improve patient safety. "Our study highlights the need to improve how information is communicated to the outpatient follow-up providers," said Dr. Were, who is also an internist.

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Contact: Cindy Fox Aisen caisen@iupui.edu 317-274-7722 Indiana University Source:Eurekalert

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