What is Being Done to Prevent Mis...( As Reported in USA Today Doctor's...),Health

As Reported in USA Today, Doctor's Misdiagnose 8% - 24% of the Time

RESTON, Va., Sept. 6 /PRNewswire/ --

WHAT: Experts featured in the September 6 USA Today article "For Doctors,

Diagnosing Gets a Technological Boost,"

(http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-09-05-diagnosis-

technology_N.htm?csp=34) are available to discuss prevalence of

misdiagnosis and prevention.

Misdiagnosis is a failure or delay in diagnosis that typically

occurs due to cognitive error -- how doctors think. With the

exponential increase in biomedical knowledge, is it humanly

possible for a physician to remember the various symptoms and

signs associated with all diagnoses?

A poll commissioned by the National Patient Safety Foundation found

that one in six people have personally experienced a medical

diagnosis error. Additionally, a 2003 paper published by the

American Medical Association found that at least four percent of all

U.S. patients who die in a hospital might have survived had their

diagnosis been correct. In fact, it is estimated that diagnosis

errors lead to death in as many as one in 20 patient deaths.

A growing number of top-ranked U.S. hospitals are aware of this

issue and are now using Isabel, a validated, web-based decision

support system to reduce diagnosis error and improve patient safety.

In a split second at the point of care, Isabel addresses the

question clinicians frequently ask themselves: What are the

diagnoses I should be considering? Isabel acts as an instant

reminder system and aids the diagnosis process, however, it is up to

the provider's clinical judgment to determine w
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