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. 2022 Apr;17(3):629-633.
doi: 10.1007/s11739-022-02952-8. Epub 2022 Mar 5.

Overdiagnosis in the emergency department: a sharper focus

Marisa Vigna  1 , Carina Vigna  2 , Eddy S Lang  3
Affiliations

Overdiagnosis in the emergency department: a sharper focus

Marisa Vigna et al. Intern Emerg Med. 2022 Apr.

Abstract

Overdiagnosis occurs when a person's symptoms or life experiences are given a diagnostic label that ultimately causes them more harm than good. We describe the complex drivers of overdiagnosis spanning five interconnected domains, which can lead to numerous negative impacts on patients. Emergency physicians are often tasked with making timely clinical assessments, decisions, and diagnoses that can unintentionally result in overdiagnosis. Three pertinent areas related to overdiagnosis in Emergency Medicine: anaphylaxis, subsegmental pulmonary embolism, and low-risk chest pain are discussed. For a broader perspective, insight on overdiagnosis from medical students and a patient advisor are presented. The perspectives illustrated are meant to spark reflection on: the ethics of labeling a person with a diagnosis, current clinical practices, the limitations of medical education, and patient care and communication in the context of overdiagnosis in the Emergency Department.

Keywords: Ethics; Low-value care; Overdiagnosis; Overtreatment; Overuse; Shared decision-making.

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