Investigative Report on Hidden Errors
Weak oversight is allowing lab failures to put patients at risk, article says. An investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel determined that many U.S. laboratories aren’t following basic protocols to ensure accurate test results, putting patient health at risk. Anywhere from 7 billion to 10 billion lab tests are conducted in the United States annually. Medical decisions are often based on the results of these tests, which means that “even a small error rate affects millions of patients,” the Journal Sentinel reported in an article that discussed the findings of the investigation. Weak oversight is to blame for many of these lab failures, the investigation determined. The Journal Sentinel found that lab inspections also may not be detecting problems or sanctioning labs with problems.
Lab testing can go wrong in a number of ways, according to the Journal Sentinel. Samples may be improperly collected or labeled—or maintained improperly after collection. Sometimes lab equipment is at fault due to wear and tear, or an instrument loses calibration from a temperature shift or an electrical surge. Other culprits involve expired reagents or failure to read a test in a timely manner.
The article provided advice on how patients could protect themselves against such errors:
- Before collecting the sample, make sure the label contains your name and other identifying information;
- Go to a different lab for a second opinion if you know a lab result is incorrect; and
- Contact state health officials with any complaint—they follow up on these issues on behalf of federal regulators.