Background: Follow-up of abnormal outpatient laboratory test results is a major patient safety concern. Electronic medical records can potentially address this concern through automated notification. We examined whether automated notifications of abnormal laboratory results (alerts) in an integrated electronic medical record resulted in timely follow-up actions.

Objectives-Despite their significance, little is known about diagnostic errors in general pediatric practice other than data from malpractice claims. We surveyed pediatricians to elicit their perceptions about frequency, contributing factors and potential systems and provider-based solutions to address diagnostic errors.Methods-Academic, community, and trainee pediatricians at three tertiary care institutions and affiliated 109 clinics (N=1,362) were invited to complete the survey anonymously via an Internet survey administration service between