COPD and asthma misdiagnoses

New York residents who suffer from breathing problems may want to know that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has awarded a $1.5 million grant to analyze the use of spirometry testing and the effect of diagnostic error on patient outcomes. Contributing factors to the bestowing of the grant were studies that indicated 30 to 50 percent of patients may be given a misdiagnosis of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The spirometry test is nationally and internationally recommended as the tool to diagnose asthma and COPD. It does so by assessing lung function with calculations of how fast and how much air a patient can expel from his or her lungs. Many patients are not given the test before their diagnosis, even with the clinical guidelines recommending the use of spirometry. Not having a spirometry test performed exposes patients to a worsened condition, and in some cases, death. The patients are also more likely to be saddled with unnecessary medical expenses.

The grant will be used to implement the Reducing Diagnostic Error to Improve Patient Safety in COPD and Asthma, or REDEFINE, study. The 3-year clinical trial will use 400 adults with cases of asthma, COPD or both who have not received spirometry testing. Data, including the occurrence of diagnostic error, the program's expenses and the effectiveness of the program's intervention on patient-centered results, will be evaluated.

A misdiagnosis of a disease can not only cause a patient to incur unnecessary expense, it could result in the actual condition worsening due to being left untreated. Patients who have been harmed in such a manner might want to meet with a medical malpractice attorney to discuss their situations.