Five things to know about diagnostic error

Darya Yermak, Peter Cram, Janice L. Kwan

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Diagnostic error represents an important patient safety issue. Herein, we summarize five important things to know about this topic. (1) At least 1 in 20 adults are affected by diagnostic errors annually. (2) The root causes for diagnostic errors are typically multifactorial. (3) Cognitive errors are found in the majority of cases. (4) Most missed diagnoses involve common conditions. (5) Advancements in policy, education, and health information technologies hold promise for improving diagnostic safety.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)13-15
Number of pages3
JournalDiagnosis
Volume4
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1 2017
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • diagnostic errors
  • patient safety
  • quality improvement

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Medicine (miscellaneous)
  • Health Policy
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Clinical Biochemistry
  • Biochemistry, medical

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