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Diagnostic Error

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Patient Safety

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Abstract

Errors related to missed, delayed, or wrong diagnoses are common, costly, and harmful. Additionally, diagnostic errors are frequently the leading or second leading cause of malpractice claims in the USA. Diagnostic errors are classified into three types: cognitive, system-related, and no fault errors. Studies show that cognitive and systems factors contribute to and compound each other’s impact. Dual process theory of reasoning is a promising model for understanding how physicians make decisions in the diagnostic process. A balanced effort should be made to expand clinical expertise and reduce errors to optimize diagnostic performance. Physicians should familiarize themselves with the science of decision making and common cognitive biases. Recent literature proposes various cognitive strategies to minimize errors. A closed-loop feedback system in the diagnostic process is critical in reducing errors and offering feedback to physicians for performance improvement. System-level strategies are effective solutions for cognitive errors. This chapter reviews diagnostic error which is an emerging area of patient safety, sources of errors, the science of diagnostic decision making, and reduction strategies that organizations, diagnosing physicians, and patients can adopt to decrease diagnostic error and increase patient safety.

“I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken.”

Oliver Cromwell

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, 6621 Fannin Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Satid Thammasitboon M.D., M.H.P.E.

  2. Pulmonary Diseases, Critical Care, and Environmental Medicine, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, 1430 Tulane Avenue SL-9, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA

    Supat Thammasitboon M.D., M.S.C.R.

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children’s Hospital, 6621 Street Fannin Suite A 210, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Geeta Singhal M.D., M.Ed.

Authors
  1. Satid Thammasitboon M.D., M.H.P.E.
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  2. Supat Thammasitboon M.D., M.S.C.R.
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  3. Geeta Singhal M.D., M.Ed.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Satid Thammasitboon M.D., M.H.P.E. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Norwegian American Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Abha Agrawal

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Thammasitboon, S., Thammasitboon, S., Singhal, G. (2014). Diagnostic Error. In: Agrawal, A. (eds) Patient Safety. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7419-7_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7419-7_15

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  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-7418-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7419-7

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