Safer Dx Team News & Awards

Drs. Bradford, Singh, and Zimolzak presented at the Diagnostic Excellence 2024 (DEX24) Meeting hosted by the University of Minnesota and UCSF CoDEx in October 2024.

Women are less likely to die when treated by female doctors, study suggests 
April 22, 2024
NBC News interviewed Dr. Singh for this article that cites a recent Annals of Internal Medicine study showing hospitalized women have a lower mortality rate and are less likely to be readmitted to the hospital when treated by female physicians. Dr. Singh was quoted saying: ““How often do you see the same doc every day in the hospital? The point is that it’s not a one-man or one-woman show. Outcomes are unlikely to depend on one individual, but rather on a clinical team and the local text of care…One name may appear on your bill, but the care is team-based”.

Dr. Singh Invited to Participate in Sixth Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety 
April 2024
Dr. Hardeep Singh, Professor, Health Services Research and the Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuESt), was invited to participate in a plenary session “Successful Experiences with National Plans and Programs for Diagnostic Safety” at the Sixth Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety in Santiago, Chile on April 17, 2024. Co-sponsored by WHO, the 2024 Summit focused on Member States' efforts to develop, implement, and sustain patient safety strategies within the framework of WHO’s Global Patient Safety Action Plan. 

Seeing a Doctor Doesn’t Have to Be So Frustrating
March 25, 2024
The Wall Street Journal featured Dr. Singh in an interview detailing why it can be frustrating to see a doctor and was quoted as saying: “I’ve had several instances in which the patients have seen [test results] before the physician has even had a chance to call them, and they were very upset”.

Medical mistakes are more likely in women and minorities
January 15, 2024
NBC News interviewed Dr. Singh as part of an article that investigates why medical errors occur more frequently in female and minority patients. He was quoted saying: ““The vast majority of diagnoses can be made by getting to know the patient’s story really well, asking follow-up questions, examining the patient, and ordering basic tests” and “one of the things we hear over and over is, ‘The doctor didn’t listen to me’”. 

Report To The President: A Transformational effort on Patient Safety
September 2023
The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology released its findings on patient safety in a report to President Joe Biden “A Transformational Effort on Patient Safety.”  The report outlines recommendations to advance the nation’s commitment to supporting robust safety solutions for patients and the healthcare workforce. The report was informed by two publications by Dr. Hardeep Singh and the Safer Dx team (PMID 30395508 and PMID 24742777). One of these publications was co-authored by Dr. Ashley Meyer. The report outlines recommendations to advance the nation's commitment to supporting robust safety solutions for patients and the healthcare workforce. 

Can AI Help Doctors Come Up With Better Diagnoses?
Sept. 24, 2023
The Wall Street Journal interviewed Dr. Singh in an article that examines the use of artificial intelligence in diagnostic decision-making. He was quoted saying: “AI has potential to reduce diagnostic errors, but current AI is unable to navigate the real-world messiness associated with making a clinical diagnosis, which involves dynamic interactions with patients and more uncertainty than diagnosing visual images. 

VHA Directive 1088: Communicating Test Results to Providers and Patients
July 12, 2023
Dr. Singh co-led and worked with the Office of Primary Care on revising VHA Directive 1088 on communication of test results which requires VA providers to communicate normal test results to patients within 14 days after the result becomes available or within 7 days when results require follow-up action. This national policy sets standards related to timeliness of test results communication and informs a performance measurement and quality improvement program implemented across the entire VA healthcare system.

Intervening on Interruptions 
June 28, 2023
ACP Hospitalist interviewed Dr. Jennifer Sloane and Dr. Hardeep Singh to discuss strategies for mitigating the negative impacts of interruptions that occur during the diagnostic decision-making process. This article cites their publication in the Journal of General Internal Medicine “Managing Interruptions to Improve Diagnostic Decision-Making: Strategies and Recommended Research Agenda.” 

Hospitals are supposed to make us healthier. But their carbon footprints are doing the opposite
Feb. 7, 2023
Houston Landing interviewed Dr. Singh to investigate healthcare-related carbon emissions and the impact of greenhouse gas emissions produced by the healthcare sector on public health in Houston. This article cites a publication in the New England Journal of Medicine entitled “Mandatory Reporting of Emissions to Achieve Net-Zero Health Care” co-authored by Dr. Singh that served as a call to action regarding policy changes that would require healthcare organizations in the US to reduce carbon emissions. 

Dr. Singh Invited to Speak at Fifth Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety
February 2023
Dr. Singh was invited to speak at the Fifth Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety, held in Montreux, Switzerland in February 2023. He participated in the session “COVID-19 Impact on Patient Safety”, which examined the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on patient safety across a variety of different resource settings. 

AHRQ Tool to Help Health Systems Learn From Diagnostic Safety Events 
Aug. 25, 2022
This Healthcare Innovation blog highlights the new AHRQ tool Measure Dx, the development and evaluation of which was led by Dr. Andrea Bradford and Dr. Hardeep Singh with support from several members of the Safer Dx team and the MedStar Health Institute for Quality and Safety. This modular toolkit guides clinicians, risk management personnel, quality and safety personnel, and healthcare organization leaders in implementing measurement strategies to identify, monitor, and learn from diagnostic safety events. It details four measurement strategies using different data sources: 1) data already collected for quality and safety purposes; 2) clinician and staff event reports; 3) patient-reported data; and 4) EHR-enhanced chart review. 

Dr. Hardeep Singh Earns Prestigious John M. Eisenberg Award for Lifetime Work Improving Patient Safety
August 2022
The Jewish Healthcare Foundation interviewed Dr. Singh after he won the Individual Achievement Award in the 20th John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards. This article discusses the history of his career in diagnostic safety research, including the development of innovative tools and his contribution to a critical World Health Organization report focusing on COVID-19. 

The International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics (IAHSI) announces the 2022 class of Academy Fellows
June 1, 2022
Dr. Singh’s election to the 2022 class of Academic Fellows for the International Academy of Health Sciences was announced in this press release. 

Study provides insight into what makes an effective health-related dashboard
Dec. 9, 2021
This article cites a Safer Dx team systematic review in BMJ Health & Care Informatics entitled “Dashboards for visual display of patient safety data: a systematic review”, which details a variety of dashboards that display health data to facilitate decision-making. 

VA researchers' guidelines on electronic health records adopted into Medicare policy
Sept. 14, 2021
The Safer Dx team’s work on promoting safe use of electronic health records was highlighted in this article that was published after the CMS final rule went into effect on August 2, 2021 that made updates to Medicare payment policies and rates for hospitals in the US and called for hospitals to use checklists and guides developed by the Safer Dx team, such as SAFER Guides.

Coronavirus Exposes Major Flaws in Health Care System, Experts Say
April 29, 2020
NBC News interviewed Dr. Singh to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed major flaws in the U.S. healthcare system. The article discusses the need for the US healthcare system to change financial incentives, improve efficiency of medical supply manufacturing systems, increase telemedicine usage, and manage public health with a more national and global approach.

Scientists Display Medical Innovations at 'VA Research Day' in Nation's Capital 
June 20, 2019
Several leading VA researchers showcased their latest scientific, medical, and technological advances in Washington, D.C., as part of the second annual "VA Research Day on the Hill." Dr. Singh was mentioned and quoted in the article discussing his research in developing and evaluating tools and strategies to help reduce missed test results in the VA.

Study Finds Use of Mobile App Improved Physician Lab Test Ordering and Diagnosis  
April 24, 2018
Baylor College of Medicine published an article discussing the team’s analysis of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s application PTT Advisor. The team evaluated whether the app improves diagnostic and test ordering decisions of physicians for certain coagulation and bleeding disorders and if the app is useful for learning.

Electronic medicine can send you test results quickly. But what if they’re scary?
March 26, 2018
The Washington Post spoke about releasing test results on patient portals, even if providers have not seen the results, and the effects on patients. The team's paper "Patient perceptions of receiving test results via online portals" is referenced.

Patients Want Web Access to Test Results But Don't Want to Have To Be A Doctor to Understand Them 
Dec. 29, 2017
Forbes discussed patient portals and usability, ideas from the team's recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.

Baylor, Geisinger work to improve diagnostic performance
July 17, 2017 
Baylor College of Medicine published a short article describing the Safer Dx Learning Lab project, a collaboration between the Safer Dx Team in Houston, TX and Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA.

Crowdsourced Medicine Is Transforming the Diagnosis of Rare Disorders  
March 6, 2017
NBC News explored the idea of crowdsourced medical diagnosis through the use of CrowdMed, a program that the team has evaluated in JMIR. Dr. Singh talked about the findings of the evaluation and his concerns.

The Dark Side of Information Exchange - Inbox Overload  
March 16, 2016
Modern Healthcare discussed information overload as a consequence of the increased usage of electronic health records. The team's Research Letter in JAMA is mentioned, and Dr. Murphy and Dr. Singh discuss their research in the area.

A Medical Detective Story: Why Doctors Make Diagnostic Errors 
Sept. 26, 2015
The Wall Street Journal interviewed Dr. Singh to investigate diagnostic errors and learn about the research being done by the team. In the interview, they discuss commonalities in missed diagnoses, electronic decision support tools, electronic health record triggers to identify potential delays in diagnostic evaluation, and methods for patients to improve their chances of a correct diagnosis.

• 2016 Veterans Affairs HSR&D Health Systems Impact Award for significant policy and practice impact on patient safety and electronic health records-related work in the VA primary care setting.

• Elected member, The International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua) Academy of Quality and Safety in Health Care, 2024
• Invited member, Institute for Healthcare Improvement Lucian Leape Institute, 2024
• The 20th John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award by the Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum (NQF) for Individual Lifetime Achievement
• 2012 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from President Barack Obama
• Academy Health 2012 Alice S. Hersh New Investigator Award
• Executive Committee member, The Lancet Commission on Sustainable Healthcare 2023 - Current
• Nominated member, National Academy of Medicine Board on Health Care Services 2020 - Current
• Department of Veterans Affairs Representative to the National Academy of Medicine’s Climate Collaborative 2022 - Current
• Department of Veterans Affairs Representative to the Federal Health Systems Learning Network for Climate Action 2023 - Current
• Work cited in PCAST Presidential Report “A Transformational Effort on Patient Safety”
• Member of Technical Expert Panel (TEP) for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Patient Safety Structural Measure
• Invited Expert. Fifth Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety. Swiss Federal Office of Public Health. Montreux, Switzerland
• Invited Expert for the Drafting and Review Task Force, Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021-2030, World Health Organization (WHO). Released and adopted by the WHO
• Invited Task Force Member, VA Sustainability Task Force (STF)
• Patient Safety Expert of the Year 2017 – Texas award, Corporate Vision Magazine
• 2016 VA Health Systems Impact Award for significant policy and practice impact of patient safety and electronic health records-related work in the VA primary care setting
• 2016 IMIA (International Medical Informatics Association) Yearbook of Medical Informatics selected the BMJ Quality and Safety paper, “Measuring and improving patient safety through health information technology: The Health IT Safety Framework,” as one of the best articles from the literature in Human Factors and Organization Issues’ subfield of medical informatics published in the past year.
• Fulbright & Jaworski L. L. P. Faculty Excellence Award (Teaching and Evaluation), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 2005.
• Member, Baylor College of Medicine Academy of Distinguished Educators, Houston, Texas, 2005-present.
• Outstanding Faculty Educator, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 2004−2005
• Outstanding Faculty Educator, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 2003−2004

• 2022 Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems (AMDIS) Award for Excellence, Outstanding Achievement and Special Recognition in Applied Medical InformaticsÐ
• 2023 American Medical Association (AMIA) Don Eugene Detmer Signature Award for Health Policy Contributions in Informatics
• 2013 International Medical Informatics Association Yearbook: Best Papers in Clinical Research Informatics for: A survey of informatics platforms that enable distributed comparative effectiveness research using multi-institutional heterogeneous clinical data.
• Health Information Management and Systems Society – 2012 Book of the Year for Improving Outcomes with Clinical Decision Support: An Implementer’s Guide, Second Edition
• 2012 Above & Beyond Award, The Monarch Institute, Houston, Texas
• 2011, Elected to Fellowship in Healthcare Information & Management Systems Society
• 2010 John P. McGovern Outstanding Teaching Award, School of Health Information Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
• Houston Veteran’s Affairs Hospital: 2009 Outstanding Performance Improvement Activity Award – Second Place: ‘New Multidisciplinary Solutions to Address Follow-Up of Fecal Occult Blood Test Results’ – Patient Safety Center of Inquiry.
• Health Information Management and Systems Society – 2009 Book of the Year for Improving Medication Use and Outcomes with Clinical Decision Support: A Step-by-Step Guide
• Distinguished Paper Award at 2009 American Medical Informatics Association Fall Symposium for: Persistent Paper: The Myth of “Going Paperless”
• Distinguished Paper Award at 2008 American Medical Informatics Association Fall Symposium for: A rapid assessment process for clinical informatics interventions
• Second Prize – Best Paper Competition MedInfo – 2007 Brisbane, Australia for Exploring the Unintended Consequences of Computerized Physician Order Entry
• Health Information Management and Systems Society – 2005 Book of the Year for Improving Outcomes with Clinical Decision Support: An Implementer’s Guide

• Graduate Fellowship, Center for Hazards Assessment, Response and Technology, 2003-2005
• National Academies of Medicine Scholar in Diagnostic Excellence, 2021-2022
• Health System Impact Award, 2016
• Best Poster Presentation - "Learning from Patient Experiences Related to Diagnostic Errors Is Essential for Improving Patient Safety." 11th International Diagnostic Error in Medicine Conference, 2018

• 2nd Annual Early Career IQuESt Faculty Research Award, 2019
• Psychology Department Research Travel Award, Rice University, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
• Graduate Fellowship, Rice University, 2006-2011
• Norton Rose Fulbright Faculty Excellence Award in Educational Research, Baylor College of Medicine, 2021

Emporia State University

• Graduate Student Teaching Assistantship, 2005-2006

• Recipient of "That's the Way" Award for patient satisfaction, 2018Comment from a patient I care for acknowledged as part of Patient Connect Patient Satisfaction program, 2019
• Star Faculty Award for Excellence in Patient Care, 2020
• Barry Goodfriend Outpatient Healer Award, General Internal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, 2021
• VA National Health System Impact Award, Houston VA Patient Safety Center of Inquiry Team, November 2016
• Best Oral Presentation. BCM Patient Quality & Safety Conference. May 15, 2014
• Paul C. Boyle Award for Excellence in Student Research, University of Texas School of Biomedical Informatics, May 2011
• First ever recipient of Patient Safety Innovations in Medical Residency Award, Jackson Memorial Hospital Internal Medicine Residency, June 2008
• Academic Excellence Award, University of Miami School of Business, 2006
• 3rd Place Teaching Radiology Exhibit, Association of University Radiologists Annual Mtg., 2004