Critical illness comprises numerous time-sensitive conditions in which diagnostic errors and delayed diagnoses markedly impact patient outcomes.
Diagnostic errors in the critically ill can occur in up to 20% of patients and lead to overuse of resources, delayed recovery, and increased mortality.
The most common cognitive biases leading to diagnostic errors in the critically ill include:
Anchoring bias: over-reliance on your initial impressions
Availability bias: favoring diagnoses that easily come to mind
Premature closure: ending your diagnostic reasoning too early
Confirmation bias: seeking information that supports your diagnosis and discounting contradictory findings
Recommended strategies to reduce diagnostic errors in the critically ill include implementation of checklists, standardized handoff protocols, multidisciplinary patient reviews, and explicitly discussing these cognitive biases.
References
Valentin A, et al. Exploring the dark side of the moon: diagnostic errors in critically ill patients. Intensive Care Med. 2025; 51:2422-5.
