Big Picture

Fast fact #49

#49: Getting a diagnosis wrong can be harmful to a patient's health. One study found that diagnostic error is responsible for about 10 per cent of adverse events occurring in UK hospitals.

Bibliography

Source: Neale et al. Clin Med 2011;11(4):317-21.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21853823
Originally published in The Big Picture Little Book of Fast Facts
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/Education-resources/Teaching-and-education/Big-Picture/All-issues/Special-Fast-Facts-book/index.htm

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