Challenges and opportunities from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) research summit on improving diagnosis: a proceedings review

BACKGROUND: The Improving Diagnosis in Health Care report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) provided an opportunity for many groups to reflect on the role they could play in taking actions to improve diagnostic safety. As part of its own process, AHRQ held a research summit in the fall of 2016, inviting members from a diverse collection of organizations, both inside and outside of Government, to share their suggestions regarding what is known about diagnosis and the challenges that need to be addressed. CONTENT: The goals of the summit were to learn from the insights of participants; examine issues associated with definitions of diagnostic error and gaps in the evidence base; explore clinician and patient perspectives; gain a better understanding of data and measurement, health information technology, and organizational factors that impact the diagnostic process; and identify potential future directions for research. Summary and outlook: Plenary sessions focused on the state of the new diagnostic safety discipline followed by breakout sessions on the use of data and measurement, health information technology, and the role of organizational factors. The proceedings review captures many of the key challenges and areas deserving further research, revealing stimulating yet complex issues.