A Qualitative Analysis of Physician Perspectives on Missed and Delayed Outpatient Diagnosis: The Focus on System-Related Factors.

Background: Delayed and missed diagnoses lead to significant patient harm. Because physician actions are fundamental to the outpatient diagnostic process, a study was conducted to explore physician perspectives on diagnosis.

Methods: As part of a quality improvement initiative, an integrated health system conducted six physician focus groups in 2004 and 2005.

Challenges of making a diagnosis in the outpatient setting: a multi-site survey of primary care physicians.

Background: Although misdiagnosis in the outpatient setting leads to significant patient harm and wasted resources, it is not well studied. The authors surveyed primary care physicians (PCPs) about barriers to timely diagnosis in the outpatient setting and assessed their perceptions of diagnostic difficulty.

Methods: Surveys of PCPs practicing in an integrated health system across 10 geographically dispersed states in 2005.

2010 Annual National Patient Safety Foundation Congress: conference proceedings.

On May 17Y19, 2010, the National Patient Safety Foundation(NPSF) held its Annual Patient Safety Congress in Orlando, Florida. Entitled 'Getting Results: Solutions That Work', the meeting reinforced the need to focus on critical work in patient safety as health care reform begins to unfold. Without this focus, the industry will not be able to realize the Institute of Medicine's aims for safer, more efficient, equitable, timely, and truly patient-centered health care.

2009 Annual National Patient Safety Foundation Congress: conference proceedings.

On May 20 to 22, 2009, the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) held its Annual NPSF Patient Safety Congress in National Harbor, Md. Entitled Patient Safety in Challenging Times: Now More Than Ever, A Critical Need, the meeting focused on the need to strengthen efforts to improve patient safety and quality in the midst of the extraordinary economic challenges facing the nation. The Congress was cochaired by the following distinguished individuals: Janet Corrigan, PhD, MBA, president and chief executive officer, National Quality Forum, Lillee Gelinas, RN, MSN, FAAN, vice president and chief nursing officer, VHA, Inc.

Surgical team behaviors and patient outcomes.

Background: Little evidence exists that links teamwork to patient outcomes. We conducted this study to determine if patients of teams with good teamwork had better outcomes than those with poor teamwork.

Methods: Observers used a standardized instrument to assess team behaviors.