This informal and interactive session will explore diagnostic errors and associated patient harm in senior care. We will identify some contributing factors to diagnostic errors with older adults, including forms of bias, and how those factors can create hazards in the diagnostic process by undermining trust and communication. That lack of trust and communication, in turn, acts to diminish the voice of the patient, which is often a care-critical element in applying a systems safety approach to preventing diagnostic errors.
Additionally, we will discuss specific disease states where diagnostic errors are more likely when caring for older adults. This will include challenges that occur frequently in senior care, including mental health, where barriers in diagnosing a disorder like depression can lead to many forms of patient harm. Finally, we will offer ideas about improvements with actionable suggestions to help drive them. After a brief presentation, an interview-style question-and-answer period will conclude the session.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify how barriers to eliciting “What Matters” from the Age Friendly Health Systems model can contribute to diagnostic errors;
- Identify which disease states and disorders can lead to diagnostic errors in an older adult population;
- Identify some of today’s challenges along with systems-safety-based recommendations that can help move us towards reductions in preventable harm associated with diagnostic errors in senior care.
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Victor Rose, MBA, NHA, FCPP, CPASRM
Executive Director, Aging and Ambulatory CareECRI
Plymouth Meeting, PAVictor Rose has worked in the healthcare and non-profit sector for 30 years, serving in various executive and leadership roles. Currently, he serves as ECRI’s Executive Director of Aging and Ambulatory Care, coordinating business development and consulting in safety, risk management, and quality improvement to providers nationwide and across the aging care continuum. Before joining ECRI, he served as COO for 17 years with a not-for-profit continuing care retirement community leading administration (e.g., operational finance, strategic and annual planning, staffing and scheduling, admissions and discharges, licensing surveys, risk management, emergency preparedness and response), direct care, and support service delivery (e.g., environmental services, dining services, human services) among other responsibilities. During that time in 1995, he also designed and opened one of Pennsylvania’s first special care dementia units in Personal Care (Assisted Living).
Victor holds a BS in Management (healthcare concentration) from the University of North Carolina - Asheville, an MBA from DeSales University, is a Fellow at The College of Physicians of Philadelphia and is a licensed nursing home administrator in Pennsylvania. He has taught management at DeSales University, served on LeadingAge PA’s Public Policy Committee, and authored numerous healthcare management and aging services articles and white papers. Topics include state survey preparedness, budgeting, risk management, building design, staffing and scheduling, legal discovery and QAPI, scope of service, and most recently postincident investigations, postincident notifications and emergency preparedness in relations to outbreak and pandemic response.
Additional professional activities include serving as Board Member (past President) for the Eastern Pennsylvania Geriatrics Society (EPGS), as Column Editor for Annals of Long-Term Care (ALTC) “ECRI Strategies” column, and on the ALTC editorial board. Victor also serves on the Board of Managers for Meadowood at Home program, a Life Plan Community located in Skippack, PA.
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Dheerendra Kommala, MD
Chief Medical OfficerECRI
Plymouth Meeting, PADheerendra Kommala, MD, is Chief Medical Officer at ECRI, responsible for ECRI’s Medical Office. He joined ECRI in 2019 as Chief Strategy Officer responsible for setting the organization’s strategic direction.
Dr. Kommala brings more than 20 years of experience as an academic clinician, researcher, and chief medical officer. He successfully introduced new products and services to markets throughout the world by working collaboratively with major health systems, industry leaders, clinicians, and patients. Throughout his career, he has been a vocal advocate for patient safety and a visionary leader managing large teams.
Prior to joining ECRI, Dr. Kommala was global vice president of medical affairs for Baxter Healthcare. Previous experience included working as chief medical officer/global vice president of medical affairs for ConvaTec, and as associate medical director of Global Pharmaceutical Research for Renal Care, Abbott Laboratories.
Dr. Kommala received his initial medical training in India, and completed a fellowship in nephrology at the University of Missouri, Columbia School of Medicine.
