Go back: Diagnostic Errors in Primary Care

Select reports and research

COVID-19: making the right diagnosis - Diagnosis

This commentary was written by Dr. Gordon Schiff and Dr. Maria Mirica. It highlights some of the key issues related to diagnostic accuracy issues for COVID-19 and beyond.
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Diagnosis and Telemedicine: Identifying the Must-Know Research Questions for Safe and Effective Telediagnosis - Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine

The project used a scan of the literature and hosted virtual listening sessions to identify the telediagnosis questions most in need of study and research funding.
Read the conclusions

Diagnostic Error in Health Care - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

This report examines definitions of diagnostic error and illustrative examples; the epidemiology, burden of harm, and costs associated with diagnostic error; and efforts to improve diagnosis.
Read the report

Insight: Best Practices in Referral Communication - CRICO: The Risk Management Foundation of the Harvard Medical Institutions

CRICO identifies four specific methods to improve communication between referring physicians and specialists.
Read the recommendations

Patient Safety in Primary Care - Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Diagnostic errors, particularly missed or delayed diagnoses, are a focus of this annual brief review of patient safety in primary care.
Read the essay

Ten Principles for More Conservative, Care-Full Diagnosis - Annals of Internal Medicine

A diverse group of clinicians, educators, and health policy and communication experts developed ten overarching principles based on core attributes of care (good communication, trusting relationships, and continuity of care) and key patient safety lessons (awareness of pitfalls, safety nets to mitigate harm, and a culture that facilitates learning/avoiding blame) that go beyond current test-by-test recommendations.
Read the article

Toolkit for Engaging Patients To Improve Diagnostic Safety - Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

This toolkit is designed to help patients, families, and health professionals work together as partners to improve diagnostic safety.
Access the toolkit

Other resources

Armstrong Institute Center for Diagnostic Excellence

The Center for Diagnostic Excellence aims to enhance diagnostic accuracy, cut waste on unnecessary diagnostic testing, and move the needle on eliminating preventable harms from diagnostic errors. The Center is part of the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality.
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Committee to Improve Clinical Diagnosis

At Geisinger, the Committee to Improve Clinical Diagnosis works with the Safer Dx Learning Lab to develop innovative approaches to identifying and addressing diagnostic errors.
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Diagnostic Excellence Initiative

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation's work to improve diagnostic performance focuses on three clinical categories – acute vascular events, infections and cancers.
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Kaiser Permanente Diagnostic Excellence Video Series

Diagnostic Excellence: Getting the Right Diagnosis at the Right Time was developed using research-based content, consultation with subject matter experts, leaders and patient advisors. It explain factors that lead to diagnostic errors and how to achieve diagnostic excellence.
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Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine

SIDM is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving diagnosis and eliminating harm from diagnostic error.
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