In the News

The Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) has released two new guides for hospitals and health systems in reducing harm from diagnostic errors. Each guide leverages the lived-experience, insights and expertise of Patient Family Advisory Councils (PFACs) to help drive change to improve diagnostic quality and safety.

The Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) has been approved for a $129,612 Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The award, part of the PCORI Special Cycle: Supporting Engagement in and Dissemination of PCOR/CER in the Context of COVID-19 funding, will address research needs around the growing field of virtual visits and telediagnosis. The project will convene a multi-stakeholder group to examine and issue recommendations on the most important research questions regarding diagnostic quality and telediagnosis in the wake of COVID-19.

The Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) today announced that Doug Salvador, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School- Baystate and Ann Gaffey, RN, MSN, CPHRM, DFASHRM, President, Healthcare Risk and Safety Strategies, LLC have joined the SIDM Board of Directors. Dr. Salvador and Ms. Gaffey’s service began in May and the initial Board term is for three years.

Seven new Fellows in Diagnostic Excellence were announced today by the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM). The 2020-2021 Fellowship in Diagnostic Excellence awardees will work on innovative projects focused on improving diagnostic quality and safety.

Study: Patients with major vascular events, infections, or cancers most likely to receive inaccurate or delayed diagnoses resulting in serious harm

Three leading healthcare organizations, Advocate Aurora Health, COLA Inc, and University Hospitals have pledged to take action to improve diagnostic quality and safety by joining the Coalition to Improve Diagnosis, which already includes nearly 60 of the most prominent organizations in healthcare and patient advocacy.

Congress took steps this month to increase the federal government’s investment in research designed to improve the quality and safety of medical diagnoses. Bipartisan legislation, Improving Diagnosis in Medicine Act of 2019, was introduced by U.S. House Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) on November 13.

SIDM today announced that Gordon Schiff, MD has been named recipient of the Mark L. Graber Diagnostic Quality Award. In addition, the team at the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ), Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Ben Ray Lujan (D-AZ) were also recognized as SIDM Champions for Better Diagnosis. The awards were presented today at the Diagnostic Error in Medicine 12th Annual International Conference.

The Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) today announced that Robert Trowbridge, MD will serve as President-Elect of the organization, becoming president when Dr. David-Newman Toker’s term ends in November 2020. In addition, SIDM announced that Ronald Wyatt, MD, MHA has joined the board of directors.

The Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) has been awarded a $4.5 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to launch the DxQI Seed Grant Program. The new program will engage healthcare organizations in efforts to identify, develop and test interventions aimed at improving diagnostic quality and reducing harm from diagnostic error.

One-third (34%) 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, according to a study appearing in the peer-reviewed journal Diagnosis.

Four leading healthcare organizations, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), Sepsis Alliance, and UCSF Health have pledged to take action to improve diagnostic quality and safety by joining the Coalition to Improve Diagnosis, which already includes more than 50 of the most prominent organizations in health care and patient advocacy.