NAM issues recommendations to reduce diagnostic errors in health care

The National Academy of Medicine today issued recommendations for reducing diagnostic errors in health care, concluding that most people will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime. To improve diagnosis and reduce errors, the study committee called for more effective teamwork among health care professionals, patients and families; enhanced training for health care professionals; more emphasis on identifying and learning from diagnostic errors and near misses in clinical practice; a payment and care delivery environment that supports the diagnostic process; and a dedicated focus on new research. The report is part of the former Institute of Medicine’s Quality Chasm Series. “Today’s report shines a spotlight on the importance of getting the diagnosis right,” said AHA Chief Medical Officer John Combes, M.D. “Diagnosis is both an art and a science. Better understanding of how a diagnosis is formulated through complex critical thinking will also assist in improving diagnostic accuracy.”