underdiagnosis
Conditions going undetected
Underdiagnosis is the failure to identify a condition that is actually present, whether in an individual patient or across a population.
A disease may go underdiagnosed because symptoms are subtle, testing is unavailable, or certain groups receive less medical attention: Underdiagnosis of ADHD in girls has led to years of untreated struggles.
The opposite is overdiagnosis.
Not noticed or considered
- ignoredPurposely not noticed
- underreportedLacking adequate media attention
- unrecognizedNot identified or acknowledged
- dismissedReleased from duty
neglected · undetected · unacknowledged · marginalized · disparities · bias · stigma · underserved
Evaluative selection process
- symptomsIndicators of disease
- detectionAct of finding something
- asymptomaticDiseased without outward signs
- subclinicalBelow symptom detection level
comorbidity · delayed · missed · overlooked · silent · latent · occult · clinical
Perceiving something as known
- educationSystematic development of mind
- awarenessState of perceiving reality
- knowledgeUnderstood facts and skills
- understandingMental comprehension of something
Supervision or inadvertent omission
- misinterpretationIncorrect understanding of meaning
- omissionFailure to include
- inaccuracyLack of precision
- misjudgmentFaulty evaluation of something
missed · error · misreading · misattribution
overlooked
Not noticed or considered
- ignoredPurposely not noticed
- underreportedLacking adequate media attention
- unrecognizedNot identified or acknowledged
dismissed · neglected · undetected · unacknowledged · marginalized · disparities · bias · stigma · underserved · socioeconomic
screening
Evaluative selection process
- symptomsIndicators of disease
- detectionAct of finding something
- asymptomaticDiseased without outward signs
subclinical · comorbidity · delayed · missed · overlooked · silent · latent · occult · clinical · epidemiology
recognition
Perceiving something as known
oversight
Supervision or inadvertent omission
- misinterpretationIncorrect understanding of meaning
- omissionFailure to include
- inaccuracyLack of precision
misjudgment · missed · error · misreading · misattribution
- diagnostic errorsfalse negative, false positive, lab error
underdiagnosisoverdiagnosis
Finding harmless conditions unnecessarily
false positives · overtesting · medicalization · disease mongering · overscreening