Healthcare Inspection - Alleged Delay in Diagnosis and Treatment at a Community Based Outpatient Clinic, Nashville and Murfreesboro, TN

The VA Office of Inspector General Office of Healthcare Inspections evaluated allegations of a delay in Graves’ disease diagnosis and treatment at a community based outpatient clinic of the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (the System). We substantiated that there was about a 6-week delay in initiating the appropriate work-up of a patient’s hyperthyroidism. However, this delay did not cause a delay in treatment that harmed the patient or negatively impacted his outcome. We also found that other System providers failed to notify the patient of both abnormal and normal test results in a timely manner. We recommended that the System Director require that providers ordering laboratory, radiographic, and other tests and studies inform patients of test results and arrange for appropriate follow-up according to policy. The VISN and System Directors agreed with our report.