Improving Diagnosis

Improving Diagnosis in Health CareIn 2015, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (National Academies) released its landmark report, Improving Diagnosis in Health Care, identifying eight major goals for effecting progress on diagnostic error. The report has helped inform the work of the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) and its Coalition to Improve Diagnosis.

Goals outlined in the National Academies report:

  • Facilitate more effective teamwork in the diagnostic process among healthcare professionals, patients, and their families
  • Enhance healthcare professional education and training in the diagnostic process
  • Ensure that health information technologies support patients and healthcare professionals in the diagnostic process
  • Develop and deploy approaches to identify, learn from, and reduce diagnostic errors and near misses in clinical practice
  • Establish a work system and culture that supports the diagnostic process and improvements in diagnostic performance
  • Develop a reporting environment and medical liability system that facilitates improved diagnosis by learning from diagnostic errors and near misses
  • Design a payment and care delivery environment that supports the diagnostic process
  • Provide dedicated funding for research on the diagnostic process and diagnostic errors

Highlighting Progress, Advancing the Movement

In 2017, the National Academies hosted an event highlighting substantial progress towards advancing the vision of Improving Diagnosis in Health Care, including a presentation from SIDM leadership recognizing contributions made by Coalition to Improve Diagnosis members.

Attendees from diverse organizations that are committed to improving diagnostic accuracy celebrated progress and discussed the urgent patient safety imperative to address harm related to diagnostic error. SIDM is committed to leading these efforts, and will explore every opportunity to accelerate progress.

Read Improving Improving Diagnosis in Health Care

Read the landmark report, published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, on ways to effect progress on diagnostic error.

Watch the National Academies Workshop on Improving Diagnosis