Division of Laboratory Systems, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Diagnosis (Berl). 2021 Jan 6;8(3):281-294. doi: 10.1515/dx-2020-0119. Print 2021 Aug 26.
Clinical laboratory testing provides essential data for making medical diagnoses. Generating accurate and timely test results clearly communicated to the treating clinician, and ultimately the patient, is a critical component that supports diagnostic excellence. On the other hand, failure to achieve this can lead to diagnostic errors that manifest in missed, delayed and wrong diagnoses.
Innovations that support diagnostic excellence address: 1) test utilization, 2) leveraging clinical and laboratory data, 3) promoting the use of credible information resources, 4) enhancing communication among laboratory professionals, health care providers and the patient, and 5) advancing the use of diagnostic management teams. Integrating evidence-based laboratory and patient-care quality management approaches may provide a strategy to support diagnostic excellence. Professional societies, government agencies, and healthcare systems are actively engaged in efforts to advance diagnostic excellence. Leveraging clinical laboratory capabilities within a healthcare system can measurably improve the diagnostic process and reduce diagnostic errors.
An expanded quality management approach that builds on existing processes and measures can promote diagnostic excellence and provide a pathway to transition innovative concepts to practice.
There are increasing opportunities for clinical laboratory professionals and organizations to be part of a strategy to improve diagnoses.
临床实验室检测为医学诊断提供了重要数据。准确、及时地生成检验结果，并将其清晰地传达给治疗医生，最终传达给患者，这是支持卓越诊断的关键环节。另一方面，如果无法做到这一点，就可能导致诊断错误，表现为漏诊、延误诊断和误诊。
支持卓越诊断的创新措施包括：1）检验的使用，2）利用临床和实验室数据，3）促进可信信息资源的使用，4）加强实验室专业人员、医疗保健提供者和患者之间的沟通，5）推进诊断管理团队的使用。整合基于证据的实验室和患者护理质量管理方法可能为支持卓越诊断提供一种策略。专业学会、政府机构和医疗保健系统正在积极努力推进卓越诊断。在医疗保健系统中利用临床实验室的能力，可以显著改善诊断过程并减少诊断错误。
在现有流程和措施的基础上扩展质量管理方法，可以促进卓越诊断，并为将创新理念转化为实践提供途径。
临床实验室专业人员和组织有越来越多的机会参与改善诊断的策略。
