WILLOW GROVE, PA — ECRI announced its 2026 Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns report, identifying the use of artificial intelligence in clinical diagnosis as the leading risk due to potential errors tied to data quality and oversight.
The organization said healthcare systems are increasingly relying on AI tools to interpret symptoms and clinical data, raising concerns about missed, delayed, or incorrect diagnoses if safeguards are not in place.
“AI models are only as reliable as the algorithms that power them and the data on which they’re trained,” the report states.
ECRI said reduced access to healthcare in rural areas remains a significant risk, as hospital closures and limited services can delay diagnosis and treatment.
The report also highlighted rising rates of preventable diseases linked to declining vaccination rates and gaps in public health efforts.
“Rural communities are losing access to essential healthcare services,” said Marcus Schabacker, MD, PhD, president and chief executive officer of ECRI. “At the same time, falling vaccination rates are driving a troubling rise in preventable diseases.”
Workforce shortages and workplace culture issues were also cited as contributing to patient safety risks, particularly when staff do not feel comfortable reporting concerns.
“When frontline clinicians do not feel psychologically safe reporting concerns, early warning signs of risk can be overlooked,” said Dheerendra Kommala, MD, chief medical officer at ECRI.
Other concerns identified in the report include emergency department boarding, inadequate pain management for women, and gaps in medication labeling and packaging.
ECRI said the report is based on analysis of patient safety events, research, and data from healthcare organizations.
The full report is available for download, and ECRI said it will host a webinar on March 20 to discuss the findings and recommended safety strategies. Registration is available at https://home.ecri.org/blogs/ecri-events/navigating-the-ai-diagnostic-dilemma.
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