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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | Next >> No patients died as a result of the missed tests. Most of the dilations were small and probably not immediately dangerous, Cram noted.
But about 9 percent were 5.5 centimeters or larger, a condition that would typically be referred to a surgeon. Larger aneurisms are more likely to rupture, cause life-threatening bleeding.
The study appears in the July 7 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Dr. Andy Whittemore, chief medical officer at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, said the study highlights a vexing issue for the medical profession.
"There's no question this is a major issue and a major source of medical errors," Whittemore said. "The study very clearly points out a very real shortcoming in our system and testifies to the difficulties we have communicating among specialists and primary care physicians, and primary care physicians and their patients."
Improved computer systems for tracking results would help, Whittemore said, as would making sure that the physician who orders a test also takes responsibility for making sure the results are interpreted, recorded and communicated properly.
Other studies have revealed similar problems with other types of diagnostic tests, including bone density scans and potassium and thyroid hormone levels. A study in the June 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, involving 5,434 people aged 50 to 69 found that 7 percent of abnormal results were never communicated to the patient.
Part of the problem lies in the variable methods diagnostic tests are reported, Cram said. Some records are sent electronically, and others are sent by mail, fax or phone. Some results come back almost immediately, whereas others might take two weeks.
"If you add in a doctor who's not just seeing you but seeing 20 or 30 other patients in a day, it becomes an overwhelming job," Cram said.
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