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Open Book: Delay due to the use of an unfamiliar acronym (February 2016)

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16th November, 2021

This report alerts providers to the potential danger of using unfamiliar acronyms in communications between services.

In this case, the use of an unfamiliar acronym resulted in a delay for a patient receiving an urgent diagnostic test to inform treatment decisions. It highlights the risk of using service-specific language in communications between different services involved in a patient’s care.

Last updated: 16th November, 2021