The Sept. 23 news article "Study: Most Americans will get at least one wrong diagnosis," about a recent report from the Institute of
Medicine, highlighted the danger and costs that every patient faces.
The report rightfully calls for better communication among the health-care team and with patients. With a rapidly growing and improving arsenal of tests, doctors and nurses should capitalize on the expertise within their reach — in the laboratory. This approach sounds simple, but it is not used as often as it should be. Whether testing blood samples for possible heart attacks or diabetes or liver disease, communication between lab professionals and clinicians will reduce errors. Collaboration avoids diagnostic errors by ensuring that patients know what to do before testing (for example, fasting or stopping medications), that doctors are ordering the right tests and collecting samples appropriately, and that results are understood correctly. Laboratory professionals continuously strive to minimize mistakes, and research has shown that most preventable errors are happening before or after a sample is processed and tested in the lab.
