Policy Roadmap for Research to Improve Diagnosis

The Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM)'s 2018 white paper, SIDM Roadmap for Research to Improve Diagnosis – Converting National Academy of Medicine Recommendations into Policy Action, showcases the vital need for increased research funding devoted to improving diagnosis. The Roadmap includes a three-pronged approach for policymakers to take to support and facilitate research that will lead to tangible increases in accurate and timely diagnosis: 1.) Establish and fund Research Centers of Diagnostic Excellence, 2.) Support and fund diagnostic fellowship training programs and 3.)Develop and validate operationally viable measures.

Gavel and Stethoscope

Executive Summary

According to the National Academy of Medicine's quality report, diagnostic errors represent a major public health problem likely to affect every one of us at least once in our lifetime.

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Doctors walking down a hall

Tackling the Big Three

Studies consistently find that roughly 50-80% of the serious harms resulting from missed or delayed diagnoses are linked to one of three key disease categories: vascular events, infections, and cancers.

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Hospital

Return on Investment

The projected net benefits of facilitating research to improve diagnosis are enormous. Learn about the short, intermediate, and long term impact.

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Politicans discussing issues in healthcare

Public Health Imperative

A critical area of patient safety, healthcare quality, and cost savings that has not been adequately addressed by the healthcare sector is the issue of reducing diagnostic errors.

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Doctors and policy makers discussing diagnosis

The Path Forward

Learn more about the foundational need to facilitate and catalyze research towards solutions, including the need to establish valid operational measures of diagnostic error.

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Capitol

Policy Action

The diagnostic research pipeline is “leaky” with major gaps, so cross-agency coordination is essential. Policymakers can help by raising awareness of diagnostic errors as a priority topic.

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