I've been asked why Pulsara started building a Regional Communication Network for Time Sensitive Emergencies. Here is one of the many reasons...
Misdiagnosis-related harms (death and disability) are concentrated in Vascular Events, Infections, and Cancers. The numbers in this study are staggering, but keep in mind that malpractice claims only represent 1.5% of actual events, and it is estimated that total societal costs are more than $100 billion annually.
THIS IS A SYSTEMS ISSUE.
The lack of care TEAM communication and care coordination ACROSS healthcare organizations is a national crisis. I could not agree more with Newman-Toker who said "... we might be able to ... save a lot of lives and prevent a lot of disability if we focus energy on tackling these problems."
Most vascular event and infection-related diagnostic errors occur in the inpatient and emergency settings. We need to UNITE these care teams. What's your plan for doing so?
Read "'Big Three' Diseases Account for Most Diagnostic Error Harm" here.
