Improving diagnosis through education

Diagnosis is the cornerstone of providing safe and effective medical care. Still, diagnostic errors are all too common. A key to improving diagnosis in practice is improving diagnosis education, yet formal education about diagnosis is often lacking, idiosyncratic, and not evidence based. In this Invited Commentary, the authors describe the outcomes of a national consensus project to identify key competencies for diagnosis and the themes that emerged as part of this work. The 12 competencies the authors describe span 3 categories - individual, teamwork, and system related - and address ideal diagnostic practice for all health professionals. In addition, the authors identify strategies for improving diagnosis education, including the use of theory-based pedagogy and interprofessional approaches, the recognition of the role of the health care system to enhance or inhibit the diagnostic process, and the need to focus on the individual attributes necessary for high-quality diagnosis, such as humility and curiosity. The authors conclude by advocating for increasing and improving the assessment of individual and team-based diagnostic performance in health professions education programs.