Diagnostic errors in emergency departments.

Diagnostic errors have to be recognised as a possible adverse event inherent to clinical activity and incorporate them as another quality indicator. Different sources of information report their frequency, although they may still be underestimated. Contrary to what one could expect, in most cases, it does not occur in infrequent diseases. Causes can be complex and multifactorial, with individual cognitive aspects, as well as the health system. These errors can have an important clinical and socioeconomic impact. It is necessary to learn from diagnostic errors in order to develop an accurate and reliable system with a high standard of quality.