Two new articles highlight another challenge clinicians face with COVID-19: diagnostic error.
In a commentary for Diagnosis, Gordon Schiff, M.D., and Maria Miricia, Ph.D., who together lead the PRIDE (Primary Care Research in Diagnostic Errors) Learning Network, discuss potential sources of diagnostic error, including:
- High rates of false negative and false positive test results
- Bias related to high pre-test likelihood of COVID-19
- Limited availability of information during telemedicine exams
- Lapses in routine diagnostic and preventive care
To address these and other pitfalls, Schiff and Miricia recommend closing the loop on testing; rescheduling diagnostic evaluations deferred during early stages of the pandemic and applying the principles of conservative diagnosis.
>> Read “COVID-19: Making the right diagnosis”
And the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality offers a primer on COVID-19 and diagnostic error that covers biases in the diagnostic process, including ‘availability’ and ‘anchoring,’ as well as effective strategies for testing in differing circumstances.