Diagnostic Errors in Primary Care

Automated technologies such as EHR alerts and AI-driven clinical decision support can reduce missed follow-up but cannot fully prevent diagnostic errors. Diagnostic errors in ambulatory primary care are widespread, clinically harmful, and financially costly. The National Academy of Medicine identified six diagnostic process failure points and recommended a diagnostic team to address them. Diagnostic failures arise from overlooked results, gaps in provider interpretation, complexity of testing, and limited patient activation. Primary care providers frequently fail to identify the underlying cause of abnormal laboratory values even when evidence-based evaluation protocols are well established. EHR-based electronic alerts are insufficient alone, continuing to struggle with accurate diagnosis, guideline adherence, result interpretation, and clinical workflow integration.