The Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine Launches Two New Quality and Safety Resources

Evanston, IL - (December 22, 2020) The Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) has released a new online toolkit to support diagnostic quality and safety researchers in developing patient-centered comparative effectiveness research (CER) and an interactive Diagnostic Process Map to support education about the diagnostic process as conceptualized by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (National Academies) in a consensus report, Improving Diagnosis in Health Care.

The 2015 groundbreaking report¹ from the National Academies highlighted the harm to patients caused by diagnostic error. According to the report, most people will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, sometimes with devastating consequences. The report recommends increased research around the diagnostic process and greater patient engagement in diagnosis. The report also includes a diagram of the diagnostic process that is used by educators, clinicians, researchers and patient groups to define the diagnostic process.

“In the five years since the report’s publication, it has been encouraging to see efforts to improve diagnosis build upon the report recommendations,” said John R. Ball, chair of the committee that wrote the 2015 report and executive vice president emeritus of the American College of Physicians. “Diagnostic errors continue to persist as a serious challenge to deliver high quality care, and I’m hopeful these resources from SIDM will translate into meaningful improvements in patient care and outcomes.”

Comparative Effectiveness Research Toolkit

Patient engagement is a hallmark of effective CER research. The CER Toolkit is the result of a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)-funded and SIDM convened “Diagnostic Researcher Workshop” that brought together patients and families, researchers, and others to learn about conducting patient-engaged CER.

“Comparative effectiveness research is a type of research focused on finding solutions, instead of on describing problems,” said Suz Schrandt, SIDM Senior Patient Engagement Advisor. Schrandt added that by integrating the patient and family voice into research design we can be sure to study the issues that really matter to patients and their families. “By examining diagnostic errors experienced by families and asking ‘what if?’ we can glean important research questions that can help determine strategies to reduce diagnostic errors and improve diagnostic quality and safety.”

CER is conducted by comparing two or more diagnostic, treatment, or prevention options to see which is most effective. PCORI was established by Congress to fund CER research. The toolkit offers resources to support researchers in translating their issue or topic into a CER question and identifies methods to co-create research concepts with patient partners.

The toolkit includes materials and presentations shared at the Diagnostic Research Workshop such as examples of CER research funded by PCORI, a CER template that can be used to help researchers and patients/families formulate CER questions, and other materials that support patient-engagement in development of research. The Diagnostic Researcher Workshop was funded through a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute® (PCORI®) Engagement Award Initiative (EAIN-00009).

Mapping the Diagnostic Process

The Diagnostic Process diagram is a resource developed by the National Academies in their report and offered as an interactive tool by SIDM to help everyone understand and work to improve the diagnostic process. SIDM is also releasing a presentation template that can help users map errors against the National Academies diagnostic process diagram and discuss drivers of errors and steps that could prevent future errors.

“Every member of the clinical team, including patients and family, has a role to play in ensuring that diagnoses are accurate, timely and communicated to the patient,” added Paul Epner, CEO and Co-Founder of SIDM. “The diagnostic process is a complex and collaborative activity that unfolds over time and occurs within the context of a healthcare system. The Diagnosis Process diagram shows typical elements of the diagnostic process, but also recognizes that for some patients, certain steps may be skipped, or the order may be re-arranged. We hope this tool will be useful for patients, educators, researchers and clinicians as they work to improve diagnostic quality and safety.”

Support for the development of the tool was provided, in part, by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Mont Fund.

###¹National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2015. Improving Diagnosis in Health Care. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/21794.

About the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM)
The Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) catalyzes and leads change to improve diagnosis and eliminate harm from diagnostic error. We work in partnership with patients, their families, the healthcare community and every interested stakeholder. SIDM is the only organization focused solely on the problem of diagnostic error and improving the accuracy and timeliness of diagnosis. In 2015, SIDM established the Coalition to Improve Diagnosis, to increase awareness and actions that improve diagnosis. Members of the Coalition represent hundreds of thousands of healthcare providers and patients—and the leading health organizations and government agencies involved in patient care. Together, we work to find solutions that enhance diagnostic safety and quality, reduce harm, and ultimately, ensure better health outcomes for patients. Visit www.improvediagnosis.org to learn more. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.