2022 Applications are Now Open

Looking to develop additional expertise in diagnostic safety and quality?

Apply for the 2022 Fellowship in Diagnostic Excellence program today!

Apply Now

DxQI Informational Webinar

Interested in the 2022 Seed Grant Progam?

Attend the free DxQI Informational Webinar on, Friday, January 14th at 12:00 noon ET

Celebrating 10 Years of SIDM

In this special issue of the ImproveDx Newsletter, hear from some of the pioneers and supporters who became key partners of SIDM and contributed to its growth and sustainability while also driving broader impact to the field of diagnostic quality and safety.

2021 Annual Report

Read the SIDM 2021 Annual Report, "People, Practice, Policy" highlighting major projects and initiatives aimed at improving diagnostic quality and safety.

Read the Report

SIDM Announces Jennie Ward-Robinson as New CEO

Dr. Ward-Robinson will succeed current CEO and Co-founder of SIDM, Paul L. Epner, MBA, MEd, who’s held his role since the organization was founded in 2011.

Creating a world where no patients are harmed by diagnostic error.

SIDM catalyzes and leads change to improve diagnosis and eliminate harm from diagnostic error, in partnership with patients, their families, the healthcare community and every interested stakeholder.

Support Our Mission

Patients

Patients and family members have a significant opportunity to contribute to diagnostic accuracy and timeliness by actively participating in the diagnostic process. But often, they don't know the questions to ask, the information to offer, or the steps to take to improve diagnosis.

Resources

Clinical Teams

Every member of the clinical team has a role to play in ensuring that diagnoses are accurate, timely and communicated to the patient. SIDM offers resources for clinical team members to improve cognitive skills and work within their health systems to improve the diagnostic process.

Resources

Medical Educators

Improving diagnosis requires continued investment in medical education, leveraging trainees, practitioners, and educators to address gaps in the system and focus on the teams that contribute to accurate and timely diagnostics. SIDM's resources for medical educators examine clinical reasoning and system factors that underlie diagnostic error, and offer tools and strategies to to bring diagnostic quality and safety into the medical education curriculum.

Resources

Researchers

Whether you're an established researcher or just joining the diagnostic error research community, SIDM offers a variety of resources to help advance research efforts in the field. Explore existing literature, engage with your peers, and join the conversation as we work to foster the growth of the research community.

Resources

Advocacy

Despite the fact that diagnostic error likely accounts for more patient harm than all other medical errors combined, federal investment in research to improve diagnosis amounts to about $7 million per year, or just .02% of the total $35 billion federal health research budget. Learn how you can support efforts to expand funding for research.

Resources

1 in 3

One-third of malpractice cases that result in death or permanent disability stem from an inaccurate or delayed diagnosis, making it the number one cause of serious harms among medical errors.

*Research published in Diagnosis

Diagnostic errors affect an estimated 12 million Americans each year, and likely cause more harm to patients than all other medical errors combined.

*Research published in BMJ Quality & Safety

Roughly 40,000‐80,000 deaths in U.S. hospitals each year can be attributed to diagnostic error. It’s about the same number of people who die annually from breast cancer or diabetes.

*From Improving Diagnosis in Health Care

Programs & Initiatives

Explore how we're helping improve the accuracy and timeliness of diagnosis.

Testing Interventions

Inaccurate or delayed diagnosis is the most common, catastrophic, and costly type of medical error. Through the DxQI Seed Grant Program, SIDM will award grants to support specific quality improvement work directed towards improving diagnosis.

DxQI Seed Grant Program

Collaborating to Improve Diagnosis

The Coalition to Improve Diagnosis is comprised of 60+ healthcare organizations working to find solutions that enhance diagnostic quality and safety, reduce harm and ultimately, ensure better health outcomes for patients.

Coalition to Improve Diagnosis

Diagnosis and Telemedicine

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the usage of telemedicine overnight, establishing it as a mainstay for healthcare delivery and diagnosis. To navigate this new era of “telediagnosis,” SIDM will convened a series of conversations about TeleDx research priorities.

Telediagnosis Project

In the News

Watch Out for These Diagnostic Pitfalls

Read the recent coverage on the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine's 14th International Diagnostic Error in Medicine Conference (SIDM2021) in MedPage Today

Read Here

Implementation Guide Focuses on Transforming Education of Diagnostic Reasoning

The Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) has partnered with the Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG) and the Human Diagnosis Project (Human Dx) through a grant from the Coverys Foundation to create an education intervention to improve practicing physicians’ diagnostic reasoning.

Read More

Tweets by Improve Diagnosis

DxQI Seed Grant Program

SIDM has established the DxQI Seed Grant Program to engage healthcare organizations in efforts to identify, develop, and test interventions aimed at improving diagnostic quality and reducing harm from diagnostic error.

Learn More

Join the Online Community

Become a part of SIDM's online community and
start conversations, discover resources, and network with your peers.

Join the Community