About the Center
The Patient-Partnered Diagnostic Center of Excellence (the Center) is an international research initiative grounded in a simple yet powerful idea: patients are essential members of the diagnostic team. Our mission is to reduce diagnostic errors and improve the safety of diagnosis by partnering with patients, families, clinicians, researchers, and health systems to co-create practical, equitable, and patient-centered solutions.
Co-led by a diverse, transdisciplinary team and guided by a steering committee of patient partners, our work is grounded in both Safety-I (reducing harm) and Safety-II (supporting system resilience). We prioritize lived experience, co-design, and health equity across everything we do.
Our Center is organized around four core workstreams:
Workstream 1: Learning from patient-reported events
Led by Dr. Kelly Smith, University of Toronto
The goal of Workstream 1 is to use stories and reports from patients to identify and learn from patient experiences with getting a diagnosis.
Workstream 2: Creating patient-centered taxonomies
Led by Dr. Traber Giardina, Baylor College of Medicine
The goal of Workstream 2 is to create new ways to classify and describe diagnostic issues from a patient perspective, with a focus on those most impacted by inequities.
Workstream 3: Improving communication
Led by Dr. Kristen Miller, MedStar Health
The goal of Workstream 3 is to design tools and strategies to help patients and clinicians communicate more clearly and effectively about diagnosis.
Workstream 4: Making patient engagement in diagnosis more actionable
Led by Helen Haskell, Mothers Against Medical Error
The goal of Workstream 4 is to build actionable policies and frameworks to ensure meaningful, inclusive patient engagement in diagnostic improvement efforts.
With the support of our patient co-investigator, Patient Advisory Committee, and patients like you, we are reshaping how diagnosis is studied, practiced, and improved.
Our investigators, patient partners, and advisors are affiliated with the following institutions:
