Dr. Pauline Chen of the New York Times pens an interesting column again; this time, Dr. Chen writes about patients' roles in misdiagnoses.

Dr. Chen tells the story of Marla (named changed), an alternative medicine enthusiast who arrived at her clinic with breast cancer. Marla, who had two years previously found a small lump on her breast, had tried alternative homeotherapies before entering Dr. Chen's clinic. She had blown off a mammogram and did not get help from any 'Western' doctors. In the end, Marla's tumor and surgical procedures were more extensive and costly than what she could have gone through two years before.

According to Dr. Chen, "diagnostic failures or diagnoses that are delayed or in error, are an increasingly popular topic of research in patient safety. What has emerged...is that diagnostic failures are often due to missed steps, so called "process of care lapses," that stems from both doctors and patients."

To prevent these lapses, its important for doctors and hospitals to establish routine protocol for following up with patients. One strategy, as proposed in the article, would be the ticker system, in which electronic or paper reminders trigger both doctors and patients to make certian that diagnostic testing or referrals are complete.

To read the full article, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/07/health/07chen.html?_r=1&ref=health