Diagnostic error: incidence, impacts, causes and preventive strategies

Scott, Ian A; Crock, Carmel

doi:10.5694/mja2.50771

ARTICLE
AUTHORS
REFERENCES

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General medicine

Health services administration

Some form of diagnostic error occurs in up to one in seven clinical encounters, and most are preventable

Diagnosis consists of eliciting information from history and examination, formulating a differential diagnosis, and selecting a final diagnosis based on the predictive value of specific clinical features and laboratory investigations. A timely and accurate diagnosis is every patient’s expectation.

1 Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD
2 University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD
3 Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, VIC

Correspondence: ian.scott@health.qld.gov.au

Competing interests:

Ian Scott is a foundational member of the Australian and New Zealand Affiliate of the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (ANZA‐SIDM). Carmel Crock is the inaugural chair of ANZA‐SIDM.

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Diagnostic error: incidence, impacts, causes and preventive strategies

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