Essays – Introduction

Abstract

The diagnostic process is as old as medicine itself, and seems to be just taken for granted these days, like a relic tucked away in the attic. There are no NIH institutes dedicated to diagnosis, clinical reasoning is not emphasized in medical school curricula, and the process seems to have been largely overlooked in the modern efforts to improve healthcare quality through measurement. The same passive disregard applies to diagnostic error, which may be the most common and injurious of all patient safety concerns. Neither issue, diagnostic quality or diagnostic safety, is on the radar screen in most practices or hospitals.

A major goal of our new journal Diagnosis is to move both of these issues from the back burner to the front. We hope to shine a light on diagnosis and diagnostic error and spark creative dialogue on both topics. We also hope to expand the community of individuals and stakeholder groups interested in joining this discussion.