Diagnosis of Acute Gouty Arthritis Obscured by Anchoring Bias

An estimated 75,000 hospitalizations per year are due to preventable adverse events that occur in outpatient settings in the U.S.⁹ Errors occur most frequently in the testing phase (e.g., failure to order, report and follow up laboratory results; 44%), clinician assessment errors (failure to consider and overweighing competing diagnosis; 32%), inadequate history taking (10%), incomplete physical examination findings (10%), and referral or consultation errors and delays (3%).¹⁰

Although diagnostic errors can lead to disastrous consequences, efforts have been made to identify points along the medical care process that can be monitored more thoroughly. Healthcare professionals can work together to make sure that tests are ordered correctly and followed up appropriately.

Sneha N. Patel, MD, is currently an internal medicine resident at Drexel University College of Medicine/Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia. She completed her Bachelor of Science from Boston University in 2011 and received her Medical Degree from St. George’s University in 2015. Her research interest is in rheumatologic disorders.

Monica V. Mohile, MD, is the chief rheumatology fellow at Drexel University College of Medicine/Hahnemann University Hospital. She completed her internal medicine residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She attended medical school at Northeast Ohio Medical University. Her research areas of interest include systemic lupus erythematous.

Arundathi Jayatilleke, MD, is the program director of the Drexel Rheumatology Fellowship at Drexel University. She completed her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science Degrees at Yale University and received her medical degree from Duke University in 2015. Dr. Jayatellike completed her internal medicine residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital and her rheumatology fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery. Her research interest is in inflammatory arthritis.

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