Up to one in seven clinical encounters involves some form of diagnostic error, say Australian researchers, who have come up with nine strategies to cut mistakes.

An estimated 140,000 cases of diagnostic error occur each year in Australia, with 21,000 cases of serious harm and 2000–4000 deaths, the authors say.  

And almost one in two malpractice claims against GPs involves diagnostic errors, they note in their Medical Journal of Australia perspective. 

Cognitive factors in decision-making rather than system faults are to blame for more than three quarters of diagnostic errors, most of which are preventable, add Professor Ian Scott, director of internal medicine and clinical epidemiology at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane and Associate Professor Carmel Crock, director of ED at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne.