Center to improve the safety and accuracy of medical imaging
DECODE: Diagnostic Excellence Center on Diagnostic Error
This project will make medical imaging safer and more reliable for patients by reducing delays and interpretation mistakes, with a focus on findings that can point to lung, prostate, pancreas, and adrenal cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11177614 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be affected because the center will roll out improved systems across hospitals and clinics to make sure needed imaging tests happen on time and are read correctly. The team will use information technology and safety practices already developed at Mass General Brigham to track, alert, and fix common breakdowns in imaging care. They will also bring experts together to agree on how certain imaging findings related to lung, prostate, pancreas, and adrenal cancer should be handled. The goal is to change routines and tools so patients get quicker, clearer results and follow-up when imaging suggests a serious condition.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients who receive diagnostic imaging within the Mass General Brigham system—especially those with imaging findings or symptoms suggesting lung, prostate, pancreas, or adrenal cancer—are the most likely candidates to benefit or be included.
Not a fit: People who do not get imaging tests, or who receive care outside the participating Mass General Brigham hospitals and clinics, are unlikely to see direct benefits from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could experience fewer missed or delayed cancer diagnoses and faster, more dependable imaging scheduling and interpretation.
How similar studies have performed: Other health systems have seen reductions in diagnostic errors using quality, safety, and IT interventions, but applying consensus-based approaches focused on these specific imaging findings is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Khorasani, Ramin — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Khorasani, Ramin
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.