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Human Factors and Diagnostic Error UK

Course Content

1

Section 1: Understanding Diagnostic Error

  • 1.1 What Diagnostic Error Is

  • 1.2 Why Diagnostic Error Matters

  • 1.3 Where in the Diagnostic Process Errors Arise

  • 1.4 Inequalities in Diagnosis

2

Section 2: How Clinicians Think

  • 2.1 Two Ways of Thinking

  • 2.2 Heuristics: Useful Shortcuts

  • 2.3 Common Cognitive Biases

  • 2.4 Emotion, Fatigue and Context

3

Section 3: Human Factors and the System

  • 3.1 What Human Factors Means in Health Care

  • 3.2 How Errors Arise: Systems, Not Just Individuals

  • 3.3 Workload, Fatigue and Interruptions

  • 3.4 Teams, Hierarchy and Communication

4

Section 4: Strategies for Safer Diagnosis

  • 4.1 Building a Differential and Taking a Diagnostic Time-Out

  • 4.2 Checklists, Guidelines and Decision Support

  • 4.3 Managing and Communicating Uncertainty

  • 4.4 Closing the Loop on Tests and Referrals

5

Section 5: Working With Patients and Teams

  • 5.1 Listening to Patients and Families

  • 5.2 Second Opinions and Speaking Up

  • 5.3 Overshadowing, Labels and Remote Assessment

  • 5.4 Diagnosis Across Services and Professions

6

Section 6: Learning From Diagnostic Error

  • 6.1 Recognising and Reporting Diagnostic Incidents

  • 6.2 Candour, Just Culture and Support

  • 6.3 Feedback, Calibration and Reflection

  • 6.4 Professional Standards Across the Regulators

7

Section 7: Conclusion and Key Points

  • Conclusion and Key Points

8

Section 8: References and Quick Reference

  • References and Further Reading

  • Quick-Reference Guide

9

Section 9: Reflection

  • Your reflective account