Diagnostic Errors in Medical Practice

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Overview of the Issue
Impact on Clinical Judgment
Current Health Initiatives
What Interferes with Quality Improvement
Communication Problems
Conclusion
References

Introduction

In this presentation, the topic of diagnostic errors will be overviewed. Diagnostic errors have an extremely negative impact on medical practice and the wellness of patients. As such, the topic is worth discussing in detail. The existence and quality of clinical judgement in regards to diagnostic errors will be overlooked first, then advancing to the question of policy. At the same time, this presentation will also touch upon the ways in which diagnostic errors impact quality improvement. Lastly, the interaction between workplace communication and diagnostics will also be touched upon.

Overview of the Issue

Diagnostic errors, which can alternatively be called a misdiagnosis, are a problem where medical professionals access the symptoms of a patient and make an incorrect diagnosis. In this case, a condition that actually affects the patient can end up neglected, impacting their health and wellbeing. Similarly, diagnostic errors can occur when the doctor interprets symptoms incorrectly. The process of diagnosing a health condition is complex, and errors can be made on all levels of the assessment. In some cases, errors can be made because of poor management, communication, or insufficient preparedness. The prevention and correction of diagnostic errors therefore becomes the primary goal of medical professionals, where the overall wellness and health of patients depends on their work competence.

Impact on Clinical Judgment

Clinical judgment can be identified as a process of deduction and analysis that helps medical professionals make correct decisions. Such skills are used by doctors and nurses even without their explicit intention, as a tool to understand and diagnose symptoms of their patient. Clinical judgment affects the types of symptoms a medical professional considers to be important, which classification they use, and the final decision they come to in the end. In the end, the diagnostic process largely depends not on the facts of a patient’s condition, but a physician’s interpretation of these facts (Kliegman et al., 2017).

Common disorders and diseases are much more frequently diagnosed than rare ones, which can contribute to the problem of making incorrect diagnoses (Kliegman et al., 2017). Medical statistics, presentation of diseases and previous work experiences of a person all contribute to their professional accessment. Additionally, some common afflictions can present in unexpected ways, making the process of identification more difficult. Both clinical judgment and diagnostic errors are interconnected issues. Poor clinical judgment can lead to incorrect assumptions about a patient condition, while a misdiagnosis can contribute to false clinical assumptions. Therefore, it is crucial that medical professionals utilize their best clinical judgment in the process of analysis.

Current Health Initiatives

Diagnostic errors are an inevitable and unfortunate part of the healthcare delivery process. With the progression of the medical profession, the amount of medical errors reduces, but completely eliminating them out of the procedure is beyond the scope of the current health systems (Kliegman et al., 2017). Due to the need to involve human logic and reasoning in the medical appraisal process, there are no concrete ways of getting rid of mistakes. Human errors persistently exists as a facet of healthcare delivery. However, there are particular methods for reducing the impact of human error or its chances of occurrence. Medical researchers note that systematic improvement is the only way to ensure that the amount of errors is minimized.

Overall, there are a number of possible improvements to the healthcare delivery process that can contribute to less erroneous diagnoses. Firstly, the involvement of multiple healthcare professionals can serve as a safety net in case of mistakes (Graber et al., 2002). Another doctor offering a second opinion can be used as an insurance mechanic or a method of protecting patient health. Furthermore, the use of new technology in decision making, and the inclusion of proper support systems can also be especially effective (Graber et al., 2002). With the ability of current tech to identify symptoms of common afflictions and offer information, the procedure of making a prognosis becomes more streamlined and controlled. Furthermore, involvement of medical specialists and good medical professionals in the clinical appraisal process can be effective in reducing chances of error.

What Interferes with Quality Improvement

The process of quality improvement involves understanding the core causes of diagnostic errors and introducing systematic changes to provide better healthcare. However, there are some issues regarding the implementation of change and introduction of quality improvement in the medical sphere. First of all, resistance to change is an important component of quality improvement. Medical professionals currently working in the field have a particular set of skills, competencies and knowledge.

The need to adapt and change the process of healthcare delivery can be difficult for doctors and nurses working. Additionally, insufficient funding and staffing in a medical setting can pose problems in the quality improvement procedure. Furthermore, healthcare delivery is a field that develops in a continuous fashion, signifying a need to progressively improve health practices.

There are also other problems regarding in introducing quality improvement in the face of diagnostic errors. First, the diagnosis process itself requires a collection of competencies and skills that make it difficult to both regulate and improve in a systematic fashion. The lack of awareness regarding misdiagnosis in a medical setting often impedes care improvements. When the medical workers are unable to fully understand the scope of the issue or its impact on a population, the response and subsequent quality improvement might suffer as a result. The lack of professional accountability in terms of making an incorrect prognosis also contributes to the process.

Communication Problems

Communication between parts of the healthcare delivery process remains one of the most important parts of medical care, where patient-doctor and interpofessional interactions form a basis for successful practice. The lack of interaction between nurses and doctors often leads to patient’s condition being wrongly accessed, which then escalates into an improper diagnostic decision. Poor communication between the patient and their physician can lead to some symptoms being overlooked or disregarded, which in turn often contributes to an incorrect diagnosis. Listening to the patients and taking in their feedback is a tool most commonly needed to avoid incorrect diagnoses. Furthermore, the lack of proper communication between medical professionals makes noticing or bringing attention to diagnostic errors difficult.

Conclusion

Overall, diagnostic errors are one of the most dangerous and impactful mistakes a medical professional can make. Doctors and nurses have a professional and personal responsibility to avoid mistakes, meaning that the introduction of systematic change is needed. Improving staffing, funding, education for nurses, as well as securing the decision making process behind additional checks are all valid methods to combat medical error. The need to prevent misdiagnosis spreads over all aspects of healthcare delivery, including staff communication, treatment, patient care and paperwork.

References

Kliegman, R. M., Bordini, B. J., Basel, D., & Nocton, J. J. (2017). How doctors think. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 64(1), 1–15. Web.

Graber, M., Gordon, R., & Franklin, N. (2002). Reducing diagnostic errors in medicine. Academic Medicine, 77(10), 981–992. Web.

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