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Because 25% of all outpatient medical errors can be attributed to the test-results follow up process, AMC PSO studied test result management.
Newsletter
Results Management Report
Nov 25, 2014
Patient Safety Alert 21: Results Management (PDF)
Continuing deliberations on test results management begun in 2013, the Academic Medical Center Patient Safety Organization (AMC PSO) gathered a panel of ambulatory risk management and patient safety experts to address this persistent issue.
Results Management Risks
“Workflow, user behavior, and organizational characteristics” significantly impact electronic results management processes. Our case reviews, and a focused review of the literature, identified the following risks associated with Tests Results Management and more:
- Diagnostic test volume is steadily increasing, with some clinicians estimating reviews of over 1000 results/week, creating cognitive and general work overloads
- EHR utilization is often not optimized, especially in remote, ambulatory practices
- Conflicting vendor/provider policies for results transmittal can lead to lapses in reporting and delays in follow up care
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AMC PSO
Our Patient Safety Organization convenes clinical leaders to identify and mitigate emerging risks.
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More AMC PSO Content
Publications such as whitepapers and guidelines derived from the AMC PSO convenings.
Medication Administration in the Ambulatory Setting
Newsletter
Patient Safety Alert Issue 26: The AMC PSO convened a panel of nursing leaders to review risks in the medication delivery processes in the ambulatory setting and discuss potential interventions aimed at mitigating the risks associated with medication administration.
Patient & Visitor De-escalation
Newsletter
Patient Safety Alert Issue 25: The AMC PSO convened a panel of safety leaders to review recent trends and discuss novel interventions to mitigate the risk for hospital workplace violence, especially from patients and visitors.
Electronic Health Record Risks in the Emergency Department
Newsletter
Patient Safety Alert Issue 27: The AMC PSO convened a panel of Emergency Medicine thought leaders to identify significant areas of concern and to explore potential mitigation strategies for use of electronic health record risks in the Emergency Department
Patient ID Risks & the Intersection of Electronic Health Records
Newsletter
Patient Safety Alert Issue 28: The AMC PSO recently convened a multidisciplinary group of stakeholders across its membership to review and discuss strategies for safer patient identification.
Ambulatory Safety Nets: Protecting Providers and Promoting Safety with Systems to Reduce Delayed Cancer Diagnoses
News
Ambulatory safety nets (ASNs) are person-centered programs that provide a highly reliable backup system for following up on abnormal test results when the standard follow-up process fails. Co-authored by CRICO’s Pat Folcarelli RN, MA, PhD, and Luke Sato, MD, this article about ASNs was featured in Inside Medical liability Online.
Establishing a Regional Registry for Neonatal Encephalopathy: Impact on Identification of Gaps in Practice
News
CRICO Grants
Neonatal encephalopathy continues to be a significant risk for death and disability. To address this risk, regional guidelines were developed with the support of CRICO. A neonatal encephalopathy registry was also established. The aim of this study was to identify areas of variation in practice that could benefit from quality improvement projects.
How Does Work Environment Relate to Diagnostic Quality? A Prospective, Mixed Methods Study in Primary Care
News
CRICO Grants
The aim of this CRICO-funded study was to develop a tool assessing key elements of the diagnostic assessment process and apply it to a series of diagnostic encounters examining clinical notes and encounters' recorded transcripts.
Utilization of Electronic Health Record Sex and Gender Demographic Fields: A Metadata and Mixed Methods Analysis
News
CRICO Grants
This CRICO co-funded retroactive study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association analyzed the records of patients 18 years of age or older in the Mass General Brigham health system with a first Legal Sex entry (registration requirement) between 2018 and 2022. The study was important because "Sex and gender demographic data are widely viewed as essential to providing culturally responsive gender affirming care and facilitating research and public health interventions."