Table 1 Definition of diagnostic discrepancy [6]
Outcome | Discharge diagnosis compared with admission diagnosis | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
No diagnostic discrepancy | Identical | The discharge diagnosis was the same as the admission diagnosis | |
More precise | The discharge diagnosis was more precise than the admission diagnosis | A patient is admitted with S70.0 Fracture of femur and is discharge with S72.2 Subtrochanteric fracture | |
Diagnostic discrepancy | Hierarchically different | The discharge diagnosis was listed as a secondary admission diagnosis | A patient is discharged with erysipelas, which was a secondary diagnosis at admission |
Diagnostically different | The discharge diagnosis was not among the admission diagnoses. The definition is given if none of the previous descriptions match the episode | A patient is admitted with dehydration as admission diagnosis and discharged with hip fracture |