Advancing Diagnostic Excellence through Medical Education in Diagnostic Equity

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Source: NEJM

Original: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2516830?af=R&rss=currentIssue...

Published: 2026-01-14T09:18:48Z

The article "Advancing Diagnostic Excellence through Medical Education in Diagnostic Equity" by Denise M. Connor, Monica L. Lypson, and Cristina M. Gonzalez, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, addresses systemic biases such as racism, sexism, and ableism that contribute to diagnostic inequities in healthcare[1][3]. The authors introduce the concept of diagnostic equality, which solves disparities in diagnosis by integrating health equality, antidepressant education and clinical reasoning into medical training[1]. This framework incorporates focused teaching, relationship-focused communication, structural competence, and interdisciplinary collaboration, empowering clinicians to minimize diagnostic errors and improve care for all patients[1]. The article provides practical strategies for educators, students, and healthcare teams to promote diagnostic excellence, reduce bias, and create an equitable healthcare environment[1]. A diagram in the article illustrates how implicit biases, including stereotyping, and overlooking systemic factors lead to diagnostic errors that affect both the patient and their community, and suggests strategies to reduce them[1]. This review article highlights the role of social identities in diagnostic errors in medical education[4].