Diagnostic Errors in Hospitalized Adults Who Died or Were Transferred to Intensive Care

This retrospective cohort study at 29 US academic medical centers aimed to assess the prevalence, underlying causes, and harms of diagnostic errors among hospitalized adults transferred to an intensive care unit (ICU) or who died. Out of 2428 patient records, 23.0% experienced a diagnostic error, with 17.8% resulting in harm, including death. Patient assessment problems and issues with test ordering and interpretation were identified as high-priority areas for improvement efforts to reduce diagnostic errors. These findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions to enhance diagnostic accuracy and mitigate patient harm.