Institute of Medicine Releases New Report on Improving Diagnosis in Health Care

A new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM)  – Improving Diagnosis in Health Care – found that diagnosis, and, in particular, the occurrence of diagnostic errors, has been largely unappreciated in efforts to improve the quality and safety of health care. The result of this inattention is significant: the committee concluded that most people will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, sometimes with devastating consequences.Urgent change is warranted to address this challenge. Improving diagnosis will require collaboration and a widespread commitment to change among health care professionals, health care organizations, patients and their families, researchers, and policy makers. The recommendations from Improving Diagnosis in Health Care contribute to the growing momentum for change in this crucial area of health care quality and safety.