Diagnostic errors: Why they happen and how to prevent them

Abstract

Errors in diagnosis are relatively common in primary care, causing serious harm to patients, and stress and complaints for doctors. However, teaching on the causes of diagnostic errors and how to prevent them is variable within both undergraduate and postgraduate training programmes. As a result, it can be challenging for a doctor to know how to review and respond to a diagnostic error. This article describes an integrated, two-step system to help doctors identify the cause of a diagnostic error and develop a cause-specific strategy or intervention to prevent it from happening again.