What is diagnostic excellence in the Emergency Department?
Based on a modified Delphi panel of 11 experts, these authors developed this definition:
“[T]he use of optimal, evidence-based practice to attain an accurate and timely explanation about a patient’s condition based on the information available at the time and communicate that explanation to the patient/family. Diagnostic excellence is patient-centered and equitable. Diagnostic excellence includes avoidance of divergent practices. It leads to better choices in management, prevents missed opportunities, and reduces the risk of preventable patient harm.”
Click below to find the definition of missed diagnostic opportunity. Go to the article https://www.annemergmed.com/article/S0196-0644(26)00247-7/fulltext to read more about the work.
Additional Information
The authors developed this definition for a missed diagnostic opportunity:
“a measurable divergence from optimal, evidence-based practice that may lead to: an inaccurate or delayed explanation of a patient’s condition, despite information available at the time, or a failure in shared communication related to the diagnosis with the patient/family. A missed diagnostic opportunity may lead to suboptimal management, preventable patient harm, or inequitable outcomes.”
References
Berdahl C, Schiff G, Venkatesh A, et al. Defining Diagnostic Excellence and Missed Diagnostic Opportunity for the Emergency Department Setting. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 2026; 88, 376-393.