Improving diagnosis, safety, and fairness in emergency rooms
Armstrong Institute Center for Diagnostic Excellence-Pursuing Scalable System-Level Diagnostic Quality, Value and Equity by Applying Safety Science to Emergency Department Diagnosis
This project will develop and spread practical ways to make emergency department diagnoses more accurate, safer, and fairer for patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11168732 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This Johns Hopkins-led center applies safety science ideas from engineering and social sciences to reduce diagnostic errors in emergency departments. The team will study how diagnostic mistakes happen in EDs, build tools and processes to prevent them, and work with clinicians and health systems to put those solutions into practice. Efforts will explicitly target quality, value, and equity so that improvements reach diverse patient groups. The center will also share successful methods with other hospitals through a national network.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients who receive care in participating emergency departments or whose records are part of the ED improvement activities are the most likely to be involved or affected.
Not a fit: People who do not receive care at participating EDs or whose conditions are unrelated to common ED diagnostic problems may not see direct benefits from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lower diagnostic errors in emergency care, preventing harm and improving timely, fair treatment for many patients.
How similar studies have performed: Previous safety-science and diagnostic-improvement programs have reduced errors in some hospitals, but large-scale, equity-focused dissemination remains relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Newman-Toker, David — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Newman-Toker, David
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.