SynthesisBMJ quality & safety2011
The safety implications of missed test results for hospitalised patients: a systematic review.
Synthesis in BMJ quality & safety, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 69 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
69 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The impact of health information technology on the management and follow-up of test results - a systematic review.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA · 2019Pooled it
- A Systematic Review of Interventions to Follow-Up Test Results Pending at Discharge.Journal of general internal medicine · 2018Pooled it
- Asynchronous automated electronic laboratory result notifications: a systematic review.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA · 2017Pooled it
- Failure to follow-up test results for ambulatory patients: a systematic review.Journal of general internal medicine · 2012Pooled it
- Use of microbiology tests in the era of increasing AMR rates- a multicentre hospital cohort study.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2019Trial
- The Impact of Automated Notification on Follow-up of Actionable Tests Pending at Discharge: a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of general internal medicine · 2018Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- Mapping colorectal cancer screening workflows in primary care.BMJ public health · 2026Article
- Roads diverge: mapping the journey towards diagnostic health equity.BMJ open quality · 2025Article
- Approaches to developing and implementing a molecular diagnostics stewardship program for infectious diseases: an ASM Laboratory Practices Subcommittee report.Journal of clinical microbiology · 2024Review
- Follow-up of patients with urinary tract infections discharged from the emergency department: a mixed methods study.The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy · 2024Observational
- Article
- Push notifications for critical labs results: a pilot study in the intensive care unit (ICU).JAMIA open · 2023Article
- The Impact of Pharmacist-Led Antimicrobial Stewardship Review of Cultures in the Ambulatory Setting at a Comprehensive Cancer Center.Hospital pharmacy · 2023Article
- Endorsing: closing the loop on diagnostic tests in electronic health care records.BMJ open quality · 2023Article
- Creating a Safety Net Process to Improve Colon Cancer Diagnosis in Patients With Rectal Bleeding.The Permanente journal · 2022Article
- Searching for the Optimal Method of Financing Hospital Emergency Departments-Comparison of Polish and Selected European Solutions.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Identifying the mechanisms that contribute to safe and effective electronic test result management systems- a multisite qualitative study.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA · 2021Article
- Physician Financial Incentives to Reduce Unplanned Hospital Readmissions: an Interrupted Time Series Analysis.Journal of general internal medicine · 2021Observational
9 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFailure to follow-up test results is a critical safety issue. The objective was to systematically review evidence quantifying the extent of failure to follow-up test results and the impact on patient outcomes.
methodsThe authors searched Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Inspec and the Cochrane Database from 1990 to March 2010 for English-language articles which quantified the proportion of diagnostic tests not followed up for hospital patients. Four reviewers independently reviewed titles, abstracts and articles for inclusion.
resultsTwelve studies met the inclusion criteria and demonstrated a wide variation in the extent of the problem and the impact on patient outcomes. A lack of follow-up of test results for inpatients ranged from 20.04% to 61.6% and for patients treated in the emergency department ranged from 1.0% to 75% when calculated as a proportion of tests. Two areas where problems were particularly evident were: critical test results and results for patients moving across healthcare settings. Systems used to manage follow-up of test results were varied and included paper-based, electronic and hybrid paper-and-electronic systems. Evidence of the effectiveness of electronic test management systems was limited.
conclusionsFailure to follow up test results for hospital patients is a substantial problem. Evidence of the negative impacts for patients when important results are not actioned, matched with advances in the functionality of clinical information systems, presents a convincing case for the need to explore solutions. These should include interventions such as on-line endorsement of results.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.