Diagnostic error is prevalent, harmful and costly — Australia must take diagnostic safety seriously (24 November 2025)

Summary

Every year in Australia, an estimated 140,000 people experience a diagnostic error. For 21,000 people, it causes serious harm. For 4,000 people, it’s fatal. In this blog, the authors make the case for a national policy that puts diagnostic safety on the agenda, and drives real change to prevent errors before more patients are harmed.