ArticleApplied clinical informatics2020
Application of Human Factors Methods to Understand Missed Follow-up of Abnormal Test Results.
Article in Applied clinical informatics, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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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.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Communicating blood test results in primary care: a mixed-methods systematic review.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2025Pooled it
- Developing electronic clinical quality measures to assess the cancer diagnostic process.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA · 2023Article
- Applying requisite imagination to safeguard electronic health record transitions.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA · 2022Article
- Human Factors and Organizational Issues in Health Informatics: Innovations and Opportunities.Yearbook of medical informatics · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThis study demonstrates application of human factors methods for understanding causes for lack of timely follow-up of abnormal test results ("missed results") in outpatient settings.
methodsWe identified 30 cases of missed test results by querying electronic health record data, developed a critical decision method (CDM)-based interview guide to understand decision-making processes, and interviewed physicians who ordered these tests. We analyzed transcribed responses using a contextual inquiry (CI)-based methodology to identify contextual factors contributing to missed results. We then developed a CI-based flow model and conducted a fault tree analysis (FTA) to identify hierarchical relationships between factors that delayed action.
resultsThe flow model highlighted barriers in information flow and decision making, and the hierarchical model identified relationships between contributing factors for delayed action. Key findings including underdeveloped methods to track follow-up, as well as mismatches, in communication channels, timeframes, and expectations between patients and physicians.
conclusionThis case report illustrates how human factors-based approaches can enable analysis of contributing factors that lead to missed results, thus informing development of preventive strategies to address them.
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Registered trials
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