Scenario 1: The Recalled Thermometer

A hospital network in Georgia has been using the same brand of digital thermometer across all of its clinics for three years. A routine audit reveals that the thermometers were miscalibrated at the factory — they consistently read 0.8°F lower than the true temperature. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital used these thermometers to screen patients at the door, turning away anyone with a temperature below 100.4° F (the CDC threshold for fever).

A sample of patient screening records shows the following temperatures recorded on the day in question:

Patient	Recorded Temp (°F)	Admitted?
A	99.8	Yes
B	100.1	Yes
C	100.6	No
D	99.2	Yes
E	100.3	Yes

Discussion questions:

1. The thermometer always read lower than the true temperature — never higher, never lower by a different amount. What does this tell you about the nature of this error? Would taking repeated measurements with the same thermometer help? Why or why not?
2. What were the patients’ actual temperatures? Reconstruct the table with corrected values.
3. Based on corrected temperatures, which patients should have been flagged as having a fever?
4. What are the real-world consequences of this type of error in this context? Who is affected and how?
5. How might a hospital design its measurement protocol to catch this kind of error before it causes harm?