National Quality Forum. Improving diagnostic quality and safety/reducing diagnostic error: Measurement considerations (6 October 2020)

Summary

The US National Quality Forum (NQF) convened a multistakeholder committee to identify recommendations for the practical application of the Diagnostic Process and Outcomes domain of the 2017 Diagnostic Quality and Safety Measurement Framework, measuring and reducing diagnostic error, and measuring and improving patient safety.

This report outlines the recommendations through a series of four Use Cases – missed subtle clinical findings (Use Case 1), communication failures (Use Case 2), information overload (Use Case 3), and dismissed patients (Use Case 4) – that depict resolutions to specific types of diagnostic errors, and broad-scope, comprehensive recommendations with applications to multiple populations and settings.