Failure to Follow-Up on Diagnostic Test Results Contributes to Patient Death

Nurse practitioners (NPs) face a multitude of malpractice risk exposures in their profession, including diagnosis-related issues.

In fact, diagnosis-related claims represent the highest percentage of malpractice claims made against NPs, as outlined by the Nurse Practitioner Professional Liability Exposure Claim Report: 5th Edition. This encompasses a range of allegations, including failure to order appropriate diagnostic tests to establish a diagnosis, delay in establishing a diagnosis, delay in obtaining/addressing diagnosis test results, failure to follow-up with a patient, and much more.

This video case study describes a failure to follow-up on a diagnostic test, among other missteps. The case involves an insured Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) working at an internal medicine practice. The patient was a 35-year-old female who was a long-time patient at the practice. At a routine visit for an unrelated medical condition, she reported experiencing new issues including abdominal pain and bloody stools. A fecal blood test was ordered and came back with positive results. But the results were never documented in the practice’s electronic health record (EHR) system or communicated to the patient – ultimately contributing to a delayed colon cancer diagnosis and, eventually, a civil lawsuit being filed.

In the video, you’ll learn:

• The patient’s relevant medical history
• A range of failures identified following the case and the healthcare providers named in the lawsuit, including the insured FNP
• An overview of how diagnosis-related failures frequently occur Risk recommendations for strong documentation, patient communication, and reporting claims in a timely manner as a policyholder

Additional Resources

• Nurse Practitioner Professional Liability Exposure Claim Report: 5th Edition