More than half of patients hospitalized and treated for pneumonia receive differing diagnoses during their stays, according to a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers from the University of Utah Health and the nearby VA Healthcare System, both based in Salt Lake City, measured the rates of concordance and discordance in pneumonia diagnoses. They followed three states: initial diagnosis in the emergency department, initial chest image reports and discharge diagnosis.
Among more than 2 million admissions at VA hospitals across the U.S., 36% of patients were admitted with a pneumonia diagnosis but not a corresponding discharge diagnosis. Another 33% had a discharge diagnosis of pneumonia but not an admission diagnosis. The study focused on admissions between 2015 and 2022.
"This uncertainty was often evident in doctors' notes on patient visits," according to a news release from the University of Utah Health. "Clinical notes on pneumonia diagnoses in the emergency department expressed uncertainty more than half the time (58%), and notes on diagnosis at discharge expressed uncertainty almost half the time (48%)."
It's a jump from a previous study that noted 12% misdiagnosed pneumonia cases across 48 Michigan hospitals over three years.
In conclusion, the authors of the latest study said physicians and patients should be aware of this high level of uncertainty about pneumonia diagnoses.