Quick Safety Issue 52: Advancing safety with closed-loop communication of test results

Closed-loop communication — when every test result is sent, received, acknowledged, and acted upon without failure — is essential to reduce diagnostic error. This requires multiple parties within the health care system working together to hand off tests, interpret the results, and communicate them in language the patient can understand. If abnormal test results are not communicated in a timely manner, it can lead to patient harm.