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Clinical reasoning is a quintessential aspect of medical training and practice, and is a topic that has been studied and written about extensively over the past few decades. However, the predominant conceptualisation of clinical reasoning has insofar been extrapolated from cognitive psychological theories that have been developed in other areas of human decision-making. Till date, the prevailing model of understanding clinical reasoning has remained as the dual process theory which views cognition as a dichotomous two-system construct, where intuitive thinking is fast, efficient, automatic but error-prone, and analytical thinking is slow, effortful, logical, deliberate and likely more accurate. Nonetheless, we find that the dual process model has significant flaws, not only in its fundamental construct validity, but also in its lack of practicality and applicability in naturistic clinical decision-making. Instead, we herein offer an alternative Bayesian-centric, intuitionist approach to clinical reasoning that we believe is more representative of real-world clinical decision-making, and suggest pedagogical and practice-based strategies to optimise and strengthen clinical thinking in this model to improve its accuracy in actual practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnostic reconciliation is the collaborative process between patients and clinicians to create and reconcile evidence-based, feasible, and desirable care plans. However, the specific components of this process remain unclear. The objective of this study was to develop the first comprehensive framework to elucidate the diagnostic reconciliation process.We followed a multi-step and iterative approach to develop the framework, including a focused systematic review of diagnostic conversations, quantitative evaluation of recordings of real-life clinical visits recordings, and stakeholder engagement (e.g., patients, clinicians, researchers).We identified 17 potential components to the process of diagnostic reconciliation through literature review and stakeholder engagement. After review of 56 clinical visits and further stakeholder engagement, we developed a final framework including four categories: 1) understanding the need for a test/referral, 2) logistics of test/referral scheduling, 3) test/referral information, and 4) test/referral results.The proposed framework lays the foundation for evaluation and improvement of diagnostic conversations in practice. Clinicians can enhance patient-centered diagnosis by co-creating diagnostic plans of care in practice and using the components described in the novel diagnostic reconciliation framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diurnal variation of plasma glucose levels may contribute to diagnostic uncertainty. The permissible time interval, pT(t), was proposed as a time-dependent characteristic to specify the time within which glucose levels from two consecutive samples are not biased by the time of blood collection. A major obstacle is the lack of population-specific data that reflect the diurnal course of a measurand. To overcome this issue, an approach was developed to detect and assess diurnal courses from big data.A quantile regression model, QRM, was developed comprising two-component cosinor analyses and time, age, and sex as predictors. Population-specific canonical diurnal courses were generated employing more than two million plasma glucose values from four different hospital laboratory sites. Permissible measurement uncertainties, pU, were also estimated by a population-specific approach to render Chronomaps that depict pT(t) for any timestamp of interest.The QRM revealed significant diurnal rhythmometrics with good agreement between the four sites. A minimum pT(t) of 3 h exists for median glucose levels that is independent from sampling times. However, amplitudes increase in a concentration-dependent manner and shorten pT(t) down to 72 min. Assessment of pT(t) in 793,048 paired follow-up samples from 99,453 patients revealed a portion of 24.2 % sample pairs that violated the indicated pT(t).QRM is suitable to render Chronomaps from population specific time courses and suggest that more stringent sampling schedules are required, especially in patients with elevated glucose levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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To investigate longitudinal trends in the incidence, preventability, and causes of DAEs (diagnostic adverse events) between 2008 and 2019 and compare DAEs to other AE (adverse event) types.This study investigated longitudinal trends of DAEs using combined data from four large Dutch AE record review studies. The original four AE studies included 100–150 randomly selected records of deceased patients from around 20 hospitals in each study, resulting in a total of 10,943 patient records. Nurse reviewers indicated cases with potential AEs using a list of triggers. Subsequently, experienced physician reviewers systematically judged the occurrence of AEs, the clinical process in which these AEs occurred, and the preventability and causes.The incidences of DAEs, potentially preventable DAEs and potentially preventable DAE-related deaths initially declined between 2008 and 2012 (2.3 vs. 1.2; OR=0.52, 95 % CI: 0.32 to 0.83), after which they stabilized up to 2019. These trends were largely the same for other AE types, although compared to DAEs, the incidence of other AE types increased between 2016 (DAE: 1.0, other AE types: 8.5) and 2019 (DAE: 0.8, other AE types: 13.0; rate ratio=1.88, 95 % CI: 1.12 to 2.13). Furthermore, DAEs were more preventable (p<0.001) and were associated with more potentially preventable deaths (p=0.016) than other AE types. In addition, DAEs had more and different underlying causes than other AE types (p<0.001). The DAE causes remained stable over time, except for patient-related factors, which increased between 2016 and 2019 (29.5 and 58.6 % respectively, OR=3.40, 95 % CI: 1.20 to 9.66).After initial improvements of DAE incidences in 2012, no further improvement was observed in Dutch hospitals in the last decade. Similar trends were observed for other AEs. The high rate of preventability of DAEs suggest a high potential for improvement, that should be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Systematic quality review of ultrasound exams is recommended to ensure accurate diagnosis. Our primary objectives were to develop a quantitative method for quality review of estimated fetal weight (EFW) and to assess the accuracy of EFW for an entire practice and for individual personnel. A secondary objective was to evaluate the accuracy of fetal sex determination. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. Eligible ultrasound exams included singleton pregnancies with live birth and known birth weight (BW). A published method was used to predict BW from EFW for exams with ultrasound-to-delivery intervals of up to 12 weeks. Mean error and median absolute error (AE) were compared between different personnel. Image audits were performed for exams with AE > 30% and exams with reported fetal sex different than newborn sex. Results: We analyzed 1938 exams from 890 patients. In the last exam before birth, the median AE was 5.9%, and the predicted BW was within ±20% of the actual BW in 97.2% of patients. AE was >30% in 28 exams (1.4%); image audit found correct caliper placement in all 28. Only two patients (0.2%) had AE > 30% on the last exam before birth. One sonographer systematically over-measured head and abdominal circumferences, leading to EFWs that were overestimated. Reported fetal sex differed from newborn sex in seven exams (0.4%) and five patients (0.6%). Images in four of these patients were annotated with the correct fetal sex, but a clerical error was made in the report. In one patient, an unclear image was labeled "probably female", but the newborn was male. Conclusions: The accuracy of EFW in this practice was similar to literature reports. The quantitative analysis identified a sonographer with outlier measurements. Time-consuming image audits could be focused on a small number of exams with large errors. We suggest some enhancements to ultrasound reporting software that may help to reduce clerical errors. We provide tools to help other practices perform similar quality reviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Anemia is a complex condition with diverse causes and poses diagnostic challenges amid the expanding landscape of laboratory testing. Implementation of an anemia diagnostic management team (DMT) can aid health care providers in navigating this complexity. Methods This quasi-experimental study assessed the impact of an anemia DMT on laboratory test ordering by primary care providers for anemic patients. This study included adult patients (≥18 years) with anemia (hemoglobin <12.0 g/dL for nonpregnant women, hemoglobin <13.0 g/dL for men) presenting to a family medicine clinic. Cases reviewed by the DMT (n = 100) were compared with a control group (n = 95). Results The DMT recommended additional testing for 76 patients. Significantly more patients in the DMT group underwent follow-up tests compared with controls (59% vs 34%; P <.001). Moreover, the DMT group underwent a higher mean number of tests per patient (1.70 ± 2.2 vs 0.95 ± 1.9; P =.01). Conclusion Implementation of an anemia DMT influenced follow-up testing patterns in anemic patients, potentially enhancing diagnostic thoroughness and patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnostic errors comprise the leading threat to patient safety in healthcare today. Learning how to extract the lessons from cases where diagnosis succeeds or fails is a promising approach to improve diagnostic safety going forward. We present up-to-date and authoritative guidance on how the existing approaches to conducting root cause analyses (RCA's) can be modified to study cases involving diagnosis. There are several diffierences: In cases involving diagnosis, the investigation should begin immediately after the incident, and clinicians involved in the case should be members of the RCA team. The review must include consideration of how the clinical reasoning process went astray (or succeeded), and use a human-factors perspective to consider the system-related contextual factors in the diagnostic process. We present detailed instructions for conducting RCA's of cases involving diagnosis, with advice on how to identify root causes and contributing factors and select appropriate interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnostic disparities are preventable differences in diagnostic errors or opportunities to achieve diagnostic excellence. There is a need to summarize solutions with explicit considerations for addressing diagnostic disparities. We aimed to describe potential solutions to diagnostic disparities, organize them into an action-oriented typology with illustrative examples, and characterize these solutions to identify gaps for their further development. During four human-centered design workshops composed of diverse expertise, participants ideated and clarified potential solutions to diagnostic disparities and were supported by environmental literature scan inputs. Nineteen individual semi-structured interviews with workshop participants validated identified solution examples and solution type characterizations, refining the typology. Our typology organizes 21 various types of potential diagnostic disparities solutions into four primary expertise categories needed for implementation: healthcare systems' internal expertise, educator-, multidisciplinary patient safety researcher-, and health IT-expertise. We provide descriptions of potential solution types ideated as focused on disparities and compare those to existing examples. Six types were characterized as having diagnostic-disparity-focused examples, five as having diagnostic-focused examples, and 10 as only having general healthcare examples. Only three solution types had widespread implementation. Twelve had implementation on limited scope, and six were mostly hypothetical. We describe gaps that inform the progress needed for each of the suggested solution types to specifically address diagnostic disparities and be suitable for the implementation in routine practice. Numerous opportunities exist to tailor existing solutions and promote their implementation. Likely enablers include new perspectives, more evidence, multidisciplinary collaborations, system redesign, meaningful patient engagement, and action-oriented coalitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological variation is a relevant component of diagnostic uncertainty. In addition to within-subject and between-subject variation, preanalytical variation also includes components that contribute to biological variability. Among these, daily recurring, i.e., diurnal physiological variation is of particular importance, as it contains both a random and a non-random component if the exact time of blood collection is not known. We introduce four time-dependent characteristics (TDC) of diurnal variations for measurands to assess the relevance and extent of time dependence on the evaluation of laboratory results. TDC address (i) a threshold for considering diurnality, (ii) the expected relative changes per time unit, (iii) the permissible time interval between two blood collections at different daytimes within which the expected time dependence does not exceed a defined analytical uncertainty, and (iv) a rhythm-expanded reference change value. TDC and their importance will be exemplified by the measurands aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, glucose, thyroid stimulating hormone, and total bilirubin. TDCs are calculated for four time slots that reflect known blood collection schedules, i.e., 07:00–09:00, 08:00–12:00, 06:00–18:00, and 00:00–24:00. The amplitude and the temporal location of the acrophase are major determinates impacting the diagnostic uncertainty and thus the medical interpretation, especially within the typical blood collection time from 07:00 to 09:00. We propose to check measurands for the existence of diurnal variations and, if applicable, to specify their time-dependent characteristics as outlined in our concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inpatient setting is a challenging clinical environment where systems and situational factors predispose clinicians to making diagnostic errors. Environmental complexities limit trialing of interventions to improve diagnostic error in active inpatient clinical settings. Informed by prior work, we piloted a multi-component intervention designed to reduce diagnostic error to understand its feasibility and uptake.From September 2018 to June 2019, we conducted a prospective, pre-test/post-test pilot study of hospital medicine physicians during admitting shifts at a tertiary-care, academic medical center. Optional intervention components included use of dedicated workspaces, privacy barriers, noise cancelling headphones, application-based breathing exercises, a differential diagnosis expander application, and a checklist to enable a diagnostic pause. Participants rated their confidence in patient diagnoses and completed a survey on intervention component use. Data on provider resource utilization and patient diagnoses were collected, and qualitative interviews were held with a subset of participants in order to better understand experience with the intervention.Data from 37 physicians and 160 patients were included. No intervention component was utilized by more than 50 % of providers, and no differences were noted in diagnostic confidence or number of diagnoses documented pre-vs. post-intervention. Lab utilization increased, but there were no other differences in resource utilization during the intervention. Qualitative feedback highlighted workflow integration challenges, among others, for poor intervention uptake.Our pilot study demonstrated poor feasibility and uptake of an intervention designed to reduce diagnostic error. This study highlights the unique challenges of implementing solutions within busy clinical environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diagnostic errors in multiple sclerosis (MS) impact patients and healthcare systems. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of MS misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis, time delay in reaching a correct diagnosis and potential impact of sex. Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis on MS diagnostic errors. Results: Out of 3910 studies, we included 62 for a qualitative synthesis and 24 for meta-analyses. Frequency of misdiagnosis (incorrect assignment of an MS diagnosis) ranged from 5% to 41%, with a pooled proportion based on six studies of 15% (95% CI: 9%–26%, n = 1621). The delay to rectify a misdiagnosis ranged from 0.3 to 15.9 years. Conversely, underdiagnosis (unrecognized diagnosis of MS) ranged from 3% to 58%, with a pooled proportion in four studies of 36% (95% CI: 20%–55%, n = 728). Pooling seven studies comprising 2851 individuals suggested a diagnostic delay to establish a correct MS diagnosis of 17.3 months (95% CI: 11.9–22.7) in patients underdiagnosed. In a meta-analysis of five studies, women were 2.1 times more likely to be misdiagnosed with MS compared to men (odds ratio, 95% CI: 1.53–2.86). Conclusion: This study provides summary-level evidence for the high prevalence of MS misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis. Future studies are needed to understand the causes of these diagnostic challenges in MS care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The patients with unusual symptoms present a diagnostic challenge for clinicians and may lead to misdiagnoses and inappropriate or unnecessary treatments. Endodontic diseases can present with a variety of symptoms, and it is possible for odontogenic pain to resemble non-odontogenic pain, which can complicate treatment due to the distinct management plans of the two conditions. This report details the successful management of vague pain, and popping sensations in the left maxilla triggered by cold exposure. Previous clinicians were unable to identify the pain's origin, leading to unnecessary treatments. A clinical examination, and cone-beam computed tomography evaluation revealed the presence of a missed second mesiobuccal root canal. The canal was located using an operating microscope and ultrasonics. Non-surgical endodontic retreatment was completed in two visits, successfully. This report highlights the critical importance of identifying the diverse symptoms that may arise from endodontic origin, as these can complicate clinical diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Identifying factors associated with delayed diagnosis of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) can inform future strategies for early detection. Methods and Results We conducted a retrospective cohort study including all participants from ACTION-CVT (Anticoagulation in the Treatment of Cerebral Venous Thrombosis) study who had dates of neurologic symptom onset and CVT diagnosis available. Delayed diagnosis was defined as CVT diagnosis occurring in the fourth (final) quartile of days from symptom onset. The primary study outcome was modified Rankin Scale score of ≤1 at 90 days; secondary outcomes included partial/complete CVT recanalization on last available imaging and modified Rankin Scale score of ≤2. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent variables associated with delayed diagnosis and to assess the association of delayed diagnosis and outcomes. A total of 935 patients were included in our study. Median time from symptom onset to diagnosis was 4 days (interquartile range, 1-10 days). Delayed CVT diagnosis (time to diagnosis >10 days) occurred in 212 patients (23%). Isolated headache (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.36 [95% CI, 1.50-3.73]; P10 days after symptom onset. Delayed CVT diagnosis was associated with the symptom of isolated headache and was not associated with adverse clinical outcomes.

Objectives: Childhood cancer often presents with non‐specific signs and symptoms that might mimic non‐malignant disorders including musculoskeletal diseases, potentially leading to rheumatic and orthopaedic misdiagnoses. We aimed to compare clinical presentation, diagnostic interval and survival in paediatric acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) with and without initial musculoskeletal symptoms. Methods: This nationwide retrospective, cohort study reviewed medical records of 144 children below 15 years diagnosed with AML in Denmark from 1996 to 2018. Results: Musculoskeletal symptoms occurred in 29% (42/144) of children with AML and 8% (11/144) received an initial musculoskeletal misdiagnosis, being mainly non‐specific and pain‐related. The children with and without musculoskeletal symptoms did not differ markedly up to the diagnosis of AML and blood counts were affected equally in both groups. However, the children with prior musculoskeletal symptoms were more likely to have elevated levels of LDH and ferritin. Furthermore, they revealed a tendency towards a longer total interval (median 53 days vs. 32 days, p = 0.07), but the overall survival did not differ. Conclusion: AML should be considered as an underlying cause in children with unexplained musculoskeletal symptoms and abnormal blood counts. Concomitant elevation of LDH and ferritin should strengthen the suspicion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Unconscious bias of the clinician favors the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in patients with median paresthesia. We hypothesized that more patients in this cohort would be diagnosed with proximal median nerve entrapment (PMNE) by strengthening our cognitive awareness of this alternative diagnosis. We also hypothesized that patients with PMNE may be successfully treated with surgical release of the lacertus fibrosus (LF). Methods: In this retrospective study, cases of median nerve decompression at the carpal tunnel and in the proximal forearm for the 2-year periods before and after adopting strategies to mitigate cognitive bias for CTS were enumerated. Patients diagnosed with PMNE and treated by LF release under local anesthesia were evaluated to determine surgical outcome at minimum 2-year follow-up. Primary outcome measures were changes in preoperative median paresthesia and proximal median-innervated muscle strength. Results: There was a statistically significant increase in PMNE cases identified after our heightened surveillance was initiated (z = 3.433, P <.001). In 10 of 12 cases, the patient had previous ipsilateral open carpal tunnel release (CTR) but experienced recurrent median paresthesia. In 8 cases evaluated an average of 5 years after LF release, there was improvement in median paresthesia and resolution of median-innervated muscle weakness. Conclusions: Owing to cognitive bias, some patients with PMNE may be misdiagnosed with CTS. All patients with median paresthesia, particularly those with persistent or recurrent symptoms after CTR, should be assessed for PMNE. Surgical release limited to the LF may be an effective treatment for PMNE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We sought within an ambulatory safety study to understand if the Revised Safer Dx instrument may be helpful in identification of diagnostic missed opportunities in care of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We reviewed two months of emergency department (ED) encounters for all patients at our tertiary care site with T1D and a sample of such encounters for patients with ASD over a 15-month period, and their pre-visit communication methods to better understand opportunities to improve diagnosis. We applied the Revised Safer Dx instrument to each diagnostic journey. We chose potentially preventable ED visits for hyperglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, and behavioral crises, and reviewed electronic health record data over the prior three months related to the illness that resulted in the ED visit. We identified 63 T1D and 27 ASD ED visits. Using the Revised Safer Dx instrument, we did not identify any potentially missed opportunities to improve diagnosis in T1D. We found two potential missed opportunities (Safer Dx overall score of 5) in ASD, related to potential for ambulatory medical management to be improved. Over this period, 40 % of T1D and 52 % of ASD patients used communication prior to the ED visit. Using the Revised Safer Dx instrument, we uncommonly identified missed opportunities to improve diagnosis in patients who presented to the ED with potentially preventable complications of their chronic diseases. Future researchers should consider prospectively collected data as well as development or adaptation of tools like the Safer Dx. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnostic errors are the leading cause of preventable harm in clinical practice. Implementable tools to quantify and target this problem are needed. To address this gap, we aimed to generalize the Symptom-Disease Pair Analysis of Diagnostic Error (SPADE) framework by developing its computable phenotype and then demonstrated how that schema could be applied in multiple clinical contexts. We created an information model for the SPADE processes, then mapped data fields from electronic health records (EHR) and claims data in use to that model to create the SPADE information model (intention) and the SPADE computable phenotype (extension). Later we validated the computable phenotype and tested it in four case studies in three different health systems to demonstrate its utility. We mapped and tested the SPADE computable phenotype in three different sites using four different case studies. We showed that data fields to compute an SPADE base measure are fully available in the EHR Data Warehouse for extraction and can operationalize the SPADE framework from provider and/or insurer perspective, and they could be implemented on numerous health systems for future work in monitor misdiagnosis-related harms. Data for the SPADE base measure is readily available in EHR and administrative claims. The method of data extraction is potentially universally applicable, and the data extracted is conveniently available within a network system. Further study is needed to validate the computable phenotype across different settings with different data infrastructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this study were to quantify order error rates for vascular imaging examinations and to assess the effects of a multistage quality improvement intervention on those rates. In this prospective, institutional review board–exempt project at a large academic quaternary care hospital, the authors aimed to quantify and reduce the order error rate by 50%. The authors analyzed 844 orders for all vascular imaging examinations placed before the intervention (July 19 to August 1, 2021, and September 13 to September 26, 2021), after an intervention in the cardiac surgery department consisting of a new customized order option in the electronic health record for routine preoperative patients (postintervention 1, February 28 to March 27, 2022); and after an educational and feedback campaign (postintervention 2, May 23 to June 5, 2022). Incorrect orders were identified by a radiology trainee during protocoling if the reasons for ordered examination and imaging examination were discordant and subsequently confirmed with the ordering provider. The primary outcome, order error rate, was compared across the project periods using the χ2 test and by ordering department using the χ2 and Fisher exact tests. The preintervention order error rate of 16% (50 of 306) decreased by 83% to 3% (10 of 353) at postintervention 1 (P <.001) and was durable at 3% (6 of 185) by project end. Chest CT with or without contrast constituted the majority of incorrect orders (44%, 22 of 50); "Pre-Op" was the most common examination reason (32% [16 of 50]). Cardiac surgery orderers were responsible for the most incorrect orders (32% [16 of 50]). All four most common ordering departments, including cardiac surgery, reduced their order error rates after the intervention (P <.001). Incorrect orders for imaging examinations can be reduced through targeted quality improvement interventions combining tailored electronic health record order options with education and feedback on practice habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Managing the axilla in patients with node-positive breast cancer who converted to node-negative after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is a challenging issue. We aimed to analyze the false negative rate (FNR) of SLNB after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in this group of patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we reviewed the results of SLNB and ALND in 368 breast cancer patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy from 2015 to 2019. The study included patients with pathologically proven axillary lymph nodes undergoing NAC. We collected the data from the Breast Diseases Research Center of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Results: The average age of the patients was 46.58±10.91. Of all the patients, 205 (55.7%) had positive SLN in the histologic analysis after surgery, while 163 (44.3%) had negative results. The study also revealed that the FNR of SLNB was 9.8% (n=16). Our results showed that SLN had 86.55% sensitivity and 100% specificity in detecting the involved nodes. Furthermore, after multivariable analysis, we observed that the higher number of ALND dissections was associated with a higher FNR OR=1.21, 95% CI: 1.01-1.45); while the higher number of SLN excisions was linked with a lower FNR (OR=0.42; 95% CI: 0.18-0.97). Conclusion: After NAC in breast cancer patients with positive lymph nodes, SLNB is feasible with a low FNR; the latter is correlated with the number of nodes removed during the procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bias in clinical reasoning has been identified as one of the main sources of diagnostic errors. Clinical Decision Support Systems that suggest possible diagnoses and provide information to mitigate cognitive bias could support physicians in finding a less biased diagnosis. We examine the influence of confidence and experience on the probability to adjust the decision after receiving decision aid and whether forming a first opinion beforehand or immediately receiving decision support makes a difference. 103 physicians and medical students participated in an online experiment built on decision tasks formulated to trigger availability and representativeness bias. The analysis showed that the presentation of prevalence data to mitigate availability bias changed the final probability estimate of the diagnosis significantly. Prototypical data to counteract representativeness bias showed no significant change. Medical experience, confidence in the decision, and timing of support had no significant influence on the probability to change the estimate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Contrast Media Safety Committee of the European Society of Urogenital Radiology has, together with the Preanalytical Phase Working Group of the EFLM Science Committee, reviewed the literature and updated its recommendations to increase awareness and provide insight into these interferences. Clinical relevance statement: Contrast Media may interfere with clinical laboratory tests. Awareness of potential interference may prevent unwanted misdiagnosis. Key Points: • Contrast Media may interfere with clinical laboratory tests; therefore awareness of potential interference may prevent unwanted misdiagnosis. • Clinical Laboratory tests should be performed prior to radiological imaging with contrast media or alternatively, blood or urine collection should be delayed, depending on kidney function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of MRI in guiding patients' diagnosis and treatment is increasing. Therefore, timely MRI performance prevents delays that can impact patient care. We assessed the timeliness of performing outpatient MRIs using the socio-ecological model approach and evaluated multilevel factors associated with delays. This institutional review board–approved study included outpatient MRI examinations ordered between October 1, 2021, and December 31, 2022, for performance at a large quaternary care health system. Mean order-to-performed (OtoP) interval (in days) and prolonged OtoP interval (defined as >10 days) for MRI orders with an expected date of 1 day to examination performance were measured. Logistic regression was used to assess patient-level (demographic and social determinants of health), radiology practice-level, and community-level factors associated with prolonged OtoP interval. There were 126,079 MRI examination orders with expected performance within 1 day placed during the study period (56% of all MRI orders placed). After excluding duplicates, there were 97,160 orders for unique patients. Of the MRI orders, 48% had a prolonged OtoP interval, and mean OtoP interval was 18.5 days. Factors significantly associated with delay in MRI performance included public insurance (odds ratio [OR] = 1.11, P <.001), female gender (OR = 1.11, P <.001), radiology subspecialty (ie, cardiac, OR = 1.71, P <.001), and patients from areas that are most deprived (ie, highest Area Deprivation Index quintile, OR = 1.70, P <.001). Nearly half of outpatient MRI orders were delayed, performed >10 days from the expected date selected by the ordering provider. Addressing multilevel factors associated with such delays may help enhance timeliness and equity of access to MRI examinations, potentially reducing diagnostic errors and treatment delays. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Medical diagnosis in practice connects to research through continuous feedback loops: Studies of diagnosed cases shape our understanding of disease, which shapes future diagnostic practice. Without accounting for an imperfect and complex diagnostic process in which some cases are more likely to be diagnosed correctly (or diagnosed at all), the feedback loop can inadvertently exacerbate future diagnostic errors and biases. Framework: A feedback loop failure occurs if misleading evidence about disease etiology encourages systematic errors that self-perpetuate, compromising future diagnoses and patient care. This article defines scenarios for feedback loop failure in medical diagnosis. Design: Through simulated cases, we characterize how disease incidence, presentation, and risk factors can be misunderstood when observational data are summarized naive to biases arising from diagnostic error. A fourth simulation extends to a progressive disease. Results: When severe cases of a disease are diagnosed more readily, less severe cases go undiagnosed, increasingly leading to underestimation of the prevalence and heterogeneity of the disease presentation. Observed differences in incidence and symptoms between demographic groups may be driven by differences in risk, presentation, the diagnostic process itself, or a combination of these. We suggested how perceptions about risk factors and representativeness may drive the likelihood of diagnosis. Differing diagnosis rates between patient groups can feed back to increasingly greater diagnostic errors and disparities in the timing of diagnosis and treatment. Conclusions: A feedback loop between past data and future medical practice may seem obviously beneficial. However, under plausible scenarios, poorly implemented feedback loops can degrade care. Direct summaries from observational data based on diagnosed individuals may be misleading, especially concerning those symptoms and risk factors that influence the diagnostic process itself. Highlights: Current evidence about a disease can (and should) influence the diagnostic process. A feedback loop failure may occur if biased "evidence" encourages diagnostic errors, leading to future errors in the evidence base. When diagnostic accuracy varies for mild versus severe cases or between demographic groups, incorrect conclusions about disease prevalence and presentation will result without specifically accounting for such variability. Use of demographic characteristics in the diagnostic process should be done with careful justification, in particular avoiding potential cognitive biases and overcorrection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical reasoning is fundamental for effective clinical practice. Traditional consultation models for teaching clinical reasoning or conventional approaches for teaching students how to make a diagnosis or management plan that rely on learning through observation only, are increasingly recognised as insufficient. There are also many challenges to supporting learners in developing clinical reasoning over time as well as across different clinical presentations and contexts. These challenges are compounded by the differences in how experts and novices make sense of clinical information, and the different cognitive processes each use when processing and communicating this information using precise medical language. Diagnostic errors may be due to cognitive biases but also, in a majority of cases, due to a lack of clinical knowledge. Therefore, effective educational strategies to develop clinical reasoning include identifying learners' knowledge gaps, using worked examples to prevent cognitive overload, promoting the use of key features and practising the construction of accurate problem representations. Deliberate reflection on diagnostic justification is also recommended, and overall, contributes to a growing number of evidence-based and theory-driven educational interventions for reducing diagnostic errors and improving patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnostic errors burden the United States healthcare system. Depending on how they are defined, between 40,000 and 4 million cases occur annually. Despite this striking statistic, and the potential benefits epidemiological approaches offer in identifying risk factors for sub-optimal diagnoses, diagnostic error remains an underprioritized epidemiolocal research topic. Magnifying the challenge are the array of forms and definitions of diagnostic errors, and limited sources of data documenting their occurrence. In this narrative review, we outline a framework for improving epidemiological applications in understanding risk factors for diagnostic error. This includes explicitly defining diagnostic error, specifying the hypothesis and research questions, consideration of systemic including social and economic factors, as well as the time-dependency of diagnosis relative to disease progression. Additional considerations for future epidemiological research on diagnostic errors include establishing standardized research databases, as well as identifying potential important sources of study bias.

AbstractDiagnostic error is a significant category within preventable patient harm, and it takes many years of effort to develop proficiency in diagnostic reasoning. One of the key challenges medical schools must address is preparing students for the complexity, uncertainty and clinical responsibility in going from student to doctor. Recognising the importance of both cognitive and systems-related factors in diagnostic accuracy, we designed the QUID Prompt (Questions to Use for Improving Diagnosis) for students to refer to at the bedside. This set of questions prompts careful consideration, analysis, and signposting of decision-making processes, to assist students in transitioning from medical school to the real-world of work and achieving diagnostic excellence in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction Panoramic radiography quality can be impaired by some errors such as positioning errors. Palatoglossal air space shadow error is one of the most common positioning errors and it is due to the tongue not sticking to the roof of the palate. Techniques used to deal with this error might help prevent unnecessary radiation to patients and save them time and money. The study aimed to investigate the effects of using celluloid matrix and edible tapes (fruit leather and chewing gum) on reducing the palatoglossal air space shadow error in panoramic imaging. Methods In our study, 270 patients referred to the Department of Radiology were randomised into three groups: a control group, a celluloid matrix group and an edible tapes group. Before panoramic imaging, all patients were instructed to adhere their tongues to the roof of their mouths, with the distinction that for the celluloid matrix and edible tapes groups, patients were asked to place celluloid tapes, fruit leathers, or chewing gums on their tongues before doing so. The routine imaging process was then performed, and the results were compared across groups to evaluate the incidence of palatoglossal air space shadow error. Results The number of error‐free images in each fruit leather, chewing gum and celluloid tape group were significantly higher than the control group (all cases P

Abstract Background Nonspecific discharge diagnoses after acute hospital courses represent patients discharged without an established cause of their complaints. These patients should have a low risk of adverse outcomes as serious conditions should have been ruled out. We aimed to investigate the mortality and readmissions following nonspecific discharge diagnoses compared to disease-specific diagnoses and assessed different nonspecific subgroups. Methods Register-based cohort study including hospital courses beginning in emergency departments across 3 regions of Denmark during March 2019–February 2020. We identified nonspecific diagnoses from the R- and Z03-chapter in the ICD-10 classification and excluded injuries, among others—remaining diagnoses were considered disease-specific. Outcomes were 30-day mortality and readmission, the groups were compared by Cox regression hazard ratios (HR), unadjusted and adjusted for socioeconomics, comorbidity, administrative information and laboratory results. We stratified into short (3–

Introduction: Panoramic radiography quality can be impaired by some errors such as positioning errors. Palatoglossal air space shadow error is one of the most common positioning errors and it is due to the tongue not sticking to the roof of the palate. Techniques used to deal with this error might help prevent unnecessary radiation to patients and save them time and money. The study aimed to investigate the effects of using celluloid matrix and edible tapes (fruit leather and chewing gum) on reducing the palatoglossal air space shadow error in panoramic imaging. Methods: In our study, 270 patients referred to the Department of Radiology were randomised into three groups: a control group, a celluloid matrix group and an edible tapes group. Before panoramic imaging, all patients were instructed to adhere their tongues to the roof of their mouths, with the distinction that for the celluloid matrix and edible tapes groups, patients were asked to place celluloid tapes, fruit leathers, or chewing gums on their tongues before doing so. The routine imaging process was then performed, and the results were compared across groups to evaluate the incidence of palatoglossal air space shadow error. Results: The number of error‐free images in each fruit leather, chewing gum and celluloid tape group were significantly higher than the control group (all cases P < 0.05). The chances of error‐free images in the fruit leather groups were the highest (9.57 times). The age (P = 0.136) and gender (P = 0.272) of patients had no significant effect on the results of interventions. Conclusion: The application of fruit leathers, chewing gums and celluloid tapes reduced the palatoglossal air space shadow error of panoramic imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until the discovery of the gene for cystic fibrosis (CF) in 1989, diagnostic developments were limited, and treatment focused on symptom alleviation. However, following the genetic breakthrough, some 2,000 mutations of the gene have been identified. More recently CF transmembrane conductance regulator modulator triple therapy (CFTRm) has been introduced in the form of triple therapy with ivacaftor, lumacaftor and tezacaftor (ETI), in the United States from 2019, Europe from 2020 and then Australia from 2021. The new treatment option has revolutionised both the quality of life and life expectancy of many persons diagnosed with CF. This editorial reviews major developments in the clinical care that can now be provided to patients, and reflects on the legal and ethical ramifications of the improved situation for many patients in the contexts of medical negligence, damages assessment, family law and criminal law. It also considers the difficult issues of access and equity caused by the limited availability of the triple therapy in low- and middle-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnostic management teams (DMT) are groups of experts with specialized knowledge to guide test selection and interpretation of results. They have been active in institutions over the past 20 years. To date, there are limited data on whether the presence of experts to advise healthcare providers on appropriate laboratory test selection and interpretation of complex test results positively impacts patient care. A retrospective study at a regional healthcare system with 257,000 patient encounters between 2011 and 2022 reviewing test interpretations provided by clinical laboratory experts on a diagnostic management team. Cases reviewed by the coagulation DMT were 6 times more likely to have an established, scientifically based diagnosis compared to those without a DMT. Patients who have a coagulation DMT review were twice as likely to receive a diagnosis vs. having no diagnosis. This study demonstrates that for several objective clinical outcomes, specifically diagnostic conclusions and length of stay, a DMT of coagulation experts assessing patients' test results has had a major impact on outcomes and delivery of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnostic uncertainty is not reliably communicated to patients and caregivers. This study aims to identify barriers and facilitators to effective communication of diagnostic uncertainty, including development of potential tools and strategies for improvement, as perceived by healthcare professionals and caregivers. We completed structured interviews with providers and caregivers of hospitalized children with uncertain diagnoses (UD). The interview guides addressed barriers to communication, key components for communication of uncertainty, and qualities of effective communication. The interviews concluded with respondents prioritizing potential interventions to improve communication of uncertainty. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and independently analyzed by two team members to identify common themes. Ten provider and five caregiver interviews were conducted. Common barriers to communication of uncertainty included time constraints, language barriers, and lack of clear definition of UD. Caregiver suggestions for improvement included sharing expectations of the diagnostic process and use of both written and visual communication tools. Interview respondents favored interventions of a sign summarizing the key components of diagnostic uncertainty for display in patient rooms and a structured diagnostic pause during daily rounds. We identified several potential interventions that may enhance communication of diagnostic uncertainty and better engage patients and caregivers in the diagnostic process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nonspecific discharge diagnoses after acute hospital courses represent patients discharged without an established cause of their complaints. These patients should have a low risk of adverse outcomes as serious conditions should have been ruled out. We aimed to investigate the mortality and readmissions following nonspecific discharge diagnoses compared to disease-specific diagnoses and assessed different nonspecific subgroups. Methods: Register-based cohort study including hospital courses beginning in emergency departments across 3 regions of Denmark during March 2019–February 2020. We identified nonspecific diagnoses from the R- and Z03-chapter in the ICD-10 classification and excluded injuries, among others—remaining diagnoses were considered disease-specific. Outcomes were 30-day mortality and readmission, the groups were compared by Cox regression hazard ratios (HR), unadjusted and adjusted for socioeconomics, comorbidity, administrative information and laboratory results. We stratified into short (3–<12 h) or lengthier (12–168 h) hospital courses. Results: We included 192,185 hospital courses where nonspecific discharge diagnoses accounted for 50.7% of short and 25.9% of lengthier discharges. The cumulative risk of mortality for nonspecific vs. disease-specific discharge diagnoses was 0.6% (0.6–0.7%) vs. 0.8% (0.7–0.9%) after short and 1.6% (1.5–1.7%) vs. 2.6% (2.5–2.7%) after lengthier courses with adjusted HRs of 0.97 (0.83–1.13) and 0.94 (0.85–1.05), respectively. The cumulative risk of readmission for nonspecific vs. disease-specific discharge diagnoses was 7.3% (7.1–7.5%) vs. 8.4% (8.2–8.6%) after short and 11.1% (10.8–11.5%) vs. 13.7% (13.4–13.9%) after lengthier courses with adjusted HRs of 0.94 (0.90–0.98) and 0.95 (0.91–0.99), respectively. We identified 50 clinical subgroups of nonspecific diagnoses, of which Abdominal pain (n = 12,462; 17.1%) and Chest pain (n = 9,599; 13.1%) were the most frequent. The subgroups described differences in characteristics with mean age 41.9 to 80.8 years and mean length of stay 7.1 to 59.5 h, and outcomes with < 0.2–8.1% risk of 30-day mortality and 3.5–22.6% risk of 30-day readmission. Conclusions: In unadjusted analyses, nonspecific diagnoses had a lower risk of mortality and readmission than disease-specific diagnoses but had a similar risk after adjustments. We identified 509 clinical subgroups of nonspecific diagnoses with vastly different characteristics and prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurate diagnosis is an essential component of managing critically ill emergency department (ED) patients. Electronic diagnosis generators (EDGs) are software tools which assist clinicians in their diagnosis generation; however, they have not been evaluated for use for critical ED patients. We aimed to evaluate the use of an EDG for this population to determine its impact on diagnosis generation and diagnostic testing. Methods: We performed an observational study on usage of an EDG in the high-acuity area of a tertiary care ED. The EDG was used by residents evaluating each patient in the area. The resident used the EDG when the case was felt to have diagnostic uncertainty and completed a data collection tool. Data were summarized by frequencies. Chi-squared or Fisher's exact tests were used to assess the association of added value of the EDG for diagnosis generation and diagnostic testing. Results: Over the 8-month study period, the EDG was utilized to evaluate 98 critical ED patients, of whom 60% were female, 7% were pediatric, and 46% were elderly. It was used most commonly for gastroenterological, infectious disease/immunologic, metabolic/renal, and neuropsychiatric presentations, and was least used for trauma presentations. Use of the EDG led to a diagnosis not initially considered in 47% of cases and led to additional diagnostic testing in 4% of cases. Conclusion: EDGs have some potential to improve diagnosis in critical EM patients by expanding the differential diagnosis and, to a lesser extent, altering diagnostic testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This retrospective study sought to identify patient-, provider-, and system-level characteristics associated with anxiety diagnostic specificity in mental health clinics in the Veterans Health Administration. It used administrative data extracted from Veteran Health Administration outpatient records to identify patients with a new anxiety or trauma-related diagnosis in fiscal year 2019 (N = 383,418). Logistic regression was used to model the probability of receiving an unspecified anxiety diagnosis as a function of patient-, provider-, and system-level characteristics. Unspecified anxiety disorder was diagnosed in 27% of the sample, with higher rates in primary care mental health integration clinics (42.6%) than in general mental health clinics (22.4%). Patient demographic and clinical characteristics including gender and comorbid diagnoses; provider type; provider use of an anxiety screening instrument; and facility size, complexity, and location were significant predictors of unspecified anxiety diagnosis. Anxiety diagnosis is a complex process influenced by multiple patient-, provider-, and system-level characteristics. Additional assessment tools and guidance for differential diagnosis are needed to support mental health providers in busy clinical settings to facilitate accurate and timely diagnosis of anxiety disorders.

Abstract Background Diagnostic delay (DD) can be lethal when patients with type A acute aortic dissection (TAAAD). We report 3 cases of DD associated with TAAAD. Case presentation Case 1 is a female in her sixties presenting with severe back pain. A CT scan was taken, and TAAAD with a thrombosed false lumen was suspected by the radiology technician. He did not successfully transfer his concern to the physicians and the patient was sent home. The next day, she was transferred to another hospital with a recurrence of the symptom, and the diagnosis of TAAAD was made with a CT scan there. Case 2 was an 87-year-old female who was transferred to our hospital because of a loss of consciousness and bruises on the forehead. CT scan was taken and the displaced intimal flap in her aortic arch was overlooked by the part-time physician almost at the end of his shift. The diagnosis of TAAAD was made by the radiologist. Case 3 was the 44-year-old male who did not have health insurance and experienced severe back pain a few days before the visit to our clinic. On that day, he went to the nearby hospital’s emergency room, and only pain medication was prescribed. A few days later, a CT scan was taken at our hospital to investigate the cause of pyuria and the diagnosis of TAAAD was made. Conclusion DD may be common and multifactorial in our practice. Physicians need to take every step to improve diagnostic accuracy.

Diagnostic errors are a major, largely preventable, patient safety concern. Error interventions cannot feasibly be implemented for every patient that is seen. To identify cases at high risk of error, clinicians should have a good calibration between their perceived and actual accuracy. This experiment studied the impact of feedback on medical interns' calibration and diagnostic process. In a two-phase experiment, 125 medical interns from Dutch University Medical Centers were randomized to receive no feedback (control), feedback on their accuracy (performance feedback), or feedback with additional information on why a certain diagnosis was correct (information feedback) on 20 chest X-rays they diagnosed in a feedback phase. A test phase immediately followed this phase and had all interns diagnose an additional 10 X-rays without feedback. Outcome measures were confidence–accuracy calibration, diagnostic accuracy, confidence, and time to diagnose. Both feedback types improved overall confidence–accuracy calibration (R2No Feedback = 0.05, R2Performance Feedback = 0.12, R2Information Feedback = 0.19), in line with the individual improvements in diagnostic accuracy and confidence. We also report secondary analyses to examine how case difficulty affected calibration. Time to diagnose did not differ between conditions. Feedback improved interns' calibration. However, it is unclear whether this improvement reflects better confidence estimates or an improvement in accuracy. Future research should examine more experienced participants and non-visual specialties. Our results suggest that feedback is an effective intervention that could be beneficial as a tool to improve calibration, especially in cases that are not too difficult for learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The 2021 US Cures Act may engage patients to help reduce diagnostic errors/delays. We examined the relationship between patient portal registration with/without note reading and test/referral completion in primary care. Materials and methods Retrospective cohort study of patients with visits from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021, and order for (1) colonoscopy, (2) dermatology referral for concerning lesions, or (3) cardiac stress test at 2 academic primary care clinics. We examined differences in timely completion ("loop closure") of tests/referrals for (1) patients who used the portal and read ≥1 note (Portal + Notes); (2) those with a portal account but who did not read notes (Portal Account Only); and (3) those who did not register for the portal (No Portal). We estimated the predictive probability of loop closure in each group after adjusting for socio-demographic and clinical factors using multivariable logistic regression. Results Among 12 849 tests/referrals, loop closure was more common among Portal+Note-readers compared to their counterparts for all tests/referrals (54.2% No Portal, 57.4% Portal Account Only, 61.6% Portal+Notes, P  < .001). In adjusted analysis, compared to the No Portal group, the odds of loop closure were significantly higher for Portal Account Only (OR 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1-1.4), and Portal+Notes (OR 1.4; 95% CI, 1.3-1.6) groups. Beyond portal registration, note reading was independently associated with loop closure (P  = .002). Discussion and conclusion Compared to no portal registration, the odds of loop closure were 20% higher in tests/referrals for patients with a portal account, and 40% higher in tests/referrals for note readers, after controlling for sociodemographic and clinical factors. However, important safety gaps from unclosed loops remain, requiring additional engagement strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the relationship between language and diagnostic errors (DxE) in the pediatric emergency department (ED). Electronic trigger identified ED encounters resulting in unplanned hospital admission that occurred within 10 days of an index visit from January 2018 through February 2022. Manual screening of each triggered encounter identified cases where the index visit diagnosis and hospitalization discharge diagnosis differed, and these were screened in for review using the Revised Safer Dx instrument to determine if a diagnostic error (DxE) occurred. Non-English primary language (NEPL) and English-proficient (EP) groups were established based on caregiver language. The primary outcome was the proportion of DxE each group. Data were analyzed using univariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression to identify independent predictors of DxE. Electronic trigger identified 3,551 patients, of which 806 (22.7 %) screened in for Safer Dx review. 172 (21.3 %) experienced DxE. The proportion of DxE was similar between EP and NEPL groups (21.5 vs. 21.7 %; p=0.97). Age≥12 years and fewer prior admissions in the preceding 6 months predicted higher odds of DxE. NEPL did not predict higher odds of DxE. NEPL was not associated with increased odds DxE resulting in unplanned admission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnostic errors are a source of morbidity and mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. However, contextual factors influencing clinicians' diagnostic performance have not been studied in authentic ICU settings. We sought to determine the accuracy of ICU clinicians' diagnostic impressions and to characterize how various contextual factors, including self-reported stress levels and perceptions about the patient's prognosis and complexity, impact diagnostic accuracy. We also explored diagnostic calibration, i.e. the balance of accuracy and confidence, among ICU clinicians. We conducted an observational cohort study in an academic medical ICU. Between June and August 2019, we interviewed ICU clinicians during routine care about their patients' diagnoses, their confidence, and other contextual factors. Subsequently, using adjudicated final diagnoses as the reference standard, two investigators independently rated clinicians' diagnostic accuracy and on each patient on a given day ("patient-day") using 5-point Likert scales. We conducted analyses using both restrictive and conservative definitions of clinicians' accuracy based on the two reviewers' ratings of accuracy. We reviewed clinicians' responses for 464 unique patient-days, which included 255 total patients. Attending physicians had the greatest diagnostic accuracy (77–90 %, rated as three or higher on 5-point Likert scale) followed by the team's primary fellow (73–88 %). Attending physician and fellows were also least affected by contextual factors. Diagnostic calibration was greatest among ICU fellows. Additional studies are needed to better understand how contextual factors influence different clinicians' diagnostic reasoning in the ICU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deliberate reflection on initial diagnosis has been found to repair diagnostic errors. We investigated the effectiveness of teaching students to use deliberate reflection on future cases and whether their usage would depend on their perception of case difficulty. One-hundred-nineteen medical students solved cases either with deliberate-reflection or without instructions to reflect. One week later, all participants solved six cases, each with two equally likely diagnoses, but some symptoms in the case were associated with only one of the diagnoses (discriminating features). Participants provided one diagnosis and subsequently wrote down everything they remembered from it. After the first three cases, they were told that the next three would be difficult cases. Reflection was measured by the proportion of discriminating features recalled (overall; related to their provided diagnosis; related to alternative diagnosis). The deliberate-reflection condition recalled more features for the alternative diagnosis than the control condition (p =.013) regardless of described difficulty. They also recalled more features related to their provided diagnosis on the first three cases (p =.004), but on the last three cases (described as difficult), there was no difference. Learning deliberate reflection helped students engage in more reflective reasoning when solving future cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Physicians increasingly use laboratory-produced information for disease diagnosis, patient monitoring, treatment planning, and evaluations of treatment effectiveness. Bias is the systematic deviation of laboratory test results from the actual value, which can cause misdiagnosis or misestimation of disease prognosis and increase healthcare costs. Properly estimating and treating bias can help to reduce laboratory errors, improve patient safety, and considerably reduce healthcare costs. A bias that is statistically and medically significant should be eliminated or corrected. In this review, the theoretical aspects of bias based on metrological, statistical, laboratory, and biological variation principles are discussed. These principles are then applied to laboratory and diagnostic medicine for practical use from clinical perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Diagnostic errors are a major problem in healthcare. In 2015, the report “Improving Diagnosis in Health Care” by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) stated that it is likely that most people will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime. The report suggests implementing diagnostic management teams, including patients and their relatives, diagnosticians, and healthcare professionals who support the diagnostic process, to limit diagnostic error and improve patient safety. Implementing interprofessional diagnostic management teams (IDMT), however, is not an easy task due to the complexity of the diagnostic processes and the traditional organization of healthcare with divided departments and healthcare professional who operate in different geographic locations. As this topic is still emerging, a scoping review is ideal to determine the scope of the body of literature on IDMT, indicate the volume of literature and studies available and identify any gaps in knowledge. In a long-term perspective, this scoping review will contribute to prevent diagnostic errors and improve patient safety, for adults and children with physical health issues. Methods We will conduct this scoping review in accordance with the JBI methodology and report it based on the PRISMA-ScR. We will systematically search six databases (EMBASE, PubMed, CINAHL, Academic Search Premier, SCOPUS and Web of Science) for papers published between 1985 and 2023 that describe the use of interprofessional diagnostic management teams. The participants included will be adults and children seeking diagnostic care for physical health issues. The concept studied will be interprofessional diagnostic management teams, and the context will be the diagnostic process in the healthcare system. Studies examining the diagnostic process in psychiatry, odontology or complementary medicine will be excluded. Data extraction, including key study characteristics and findings, will be done by two reviewers independently. Any disagreement will be resolved by discussion and eventually by including the two remainder reviewers. Discussion To our knowledge, this will be the first scoping review regarding IDMT and the derived effects on diagnostic safety and can therefore be a very important contribution to improve patient safety significantly during the diagnostic process. Protocol registration The project is registered at Open Science Framework (OSF) with ID: osf.io/kv2n6.

Abstract Background The gamification of learning increases student enjoyment, and motivation and engagement in learning tasks. This study investigated the effects of gamification using decision-making cards (DMCs) on diagnostic decision-making and cost using case scenarios. Method Thirty medical students in clinical clerkship participated and were randomly assigned to 14 small groups of 2–3 medical students each. Decision-making was gamified using DMCs with a clinical information heading and medical cost on the front, and clinical information details on the back. First, each team was provided with brief clinical information on case scenarios. Subsequently, DMCs depending on the case were distributed to each team, and team members chose cards one at a time until they reached a diagnosis of the case. The total medical cost was then scored based on the number and contents of cards drawn. Four case scenarios were conducted. The quantitative outcomes including confidence in effective clinical decision-making, motivation to learn diagnostic decision-making, and awareness of medical costs were measured before and after our gamification by self-evaluation using a 7-point Likert scale. The qualitative component consisted of a content analysis on the benefits of learning clinical reasoning using DMCs. Result Confidence in effective clinical decision-making, motivation to learn diagnostic decision-making, and awareness of medical cost were significantly higher after the gamification. Furthermore, comparing the clinical case scenario tackled last with the one tackled first, the average medical cost of all cards drawn by students decreased significantly from 11,921 to 8,895 Japanese yen. In the content analysis, seven advantage categories of DMCs corresponding to clinical reasoning components were extracted (information gathering, hypothesis generation, problem representation, differential diagnosis, leading or working diagnosis, diagnostic justification, and management and treatment). Conclusion Teaching medical students clinical reasoning using DMCs can improve clinical decision-making confidence and learning motivation, and reduces medical cost in clinical case scenarios. In addition, it can help students to acquire practical knowledge, deepens their understanding of clinical reasoning, and identifies several important clinical reasoning skills including diagnostic decision-making and awareness of medical costs. Gamification using DMCs can be an effective teaching method for improving medical students’ diagnostic decision-making and reducing costs.

Diagnostic errors pose a significant risk to patient safety and have substantial medical and economic consequences. Despite their importance, diagnostic error education is currently lacking in standard pre-graduate curricula. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of diagnostic errors and the frequency of recognition among medical students in Japan. A pilot survey was conducted immediately after the General Medicine In-Training Examination (GM-ITE), a comprehensive post-graduation test, administered to new residents right after graduation from medical school. The survey assessed whether they received education on diagnostic errors during their formal undergraduate medical education and whether they recognized diagnostic errors during their clinical training. Of the 564 examinees, 421 participated in the study. The majority of participants (63.9 %) reported receiving education on diagnostic errors, and 15.7 % recognized diagnostic errors during their clinical training. Significantly, those who received education on diagnostic errors had a higher rate of recognizing such errors compared to those who did not (19.7 vs. 8.6 %; p=0.0017). These findings suggest that the recognition rate of diagnostic errors increases with improved literacy in diagnostic error education. This highlights the importance of incorporating diagnostic error education into medical curricula to develop effective strategies to prevent and manage diagnostic errors, and thereby enhance medical and patient safety. However, this study did not examine the specific educational content of the errors or the details of the recognition, necessitating further investigation in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the association of emergency department (ED) volume of children and delayed diagnosis of appendicitis. Background: Delayed diagnosis of appendicitis is common in children. The association between ED volume and delayed diagnosis is uncertain, but diagnosis-specific experience might improve diagnostic timeliness. Methods: UsingHealthcare Cost and Utilization Project 8-state data from 2014 to 2019, we studied all children with appendicitis <18 years old in all EDs. The main outcome was probable delayed diagnosis: >75% likelihood that a delay occurred based on a previously validated measure. Hierarchical models tested associations between ED volumes and delay, adjusting for age, sex, and chronic conditions. We compared complication rates by delayed diagnosis occurrence. Results: Among 93,136 children with appendicitis, 3,293 (3.5%) had delayed diagnosis. Each 2-fold increase in ED volume was associated with a 6.9% (95% CI: 2.2, 11.3) decreased odds of delayed diagnosis. Each 2-fold increase in appendicitis volume was associated with a 24.1% (95% CI: 21.0, 27.0) decreased odds of delay. Those with delayed diagnosis were more likely to receive intensive care [odds ratio (OR): 1.81, 95% CI: 1.48, 2.21], have perforated appendicitis (OR: 2.81, 95% CI: 2.62, 3.02), undergo abdominal abscess drainage (OR: 2.49, 95% CI: 2.16, 2.88), have multiple abdominal surgeries (OR: 2.56, 95%CI: 2.13, 3.07), or develop sepsis (OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.61, 2.54). Conclusions: Higher ED volumes were associated with a lower risk of delayed diagnosis of pediatric appendicitis. Delay was associated with complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]