AUTHOR=Georgiou Andrew , Li Julie , Hardie Rae-Anne , Wabe Nasir , Horvath Andrea R. , Post Jeffrey J. , Eigenstetter Alex , Lindeman Robert , Lam Que , Badrick Tony , Pearce Christopher 

TITLE=Diagnostic Informatics—The Role of Digital Health in Diagnostic Stewardship and the Achievement of Excellence, Safety, and Value

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Digital Health

VOLUME=Volume 3 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/digital-health/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2021.659652

DOI=10.3389/fdgth.2021.659652

ISSN=2673-253X

ABSTRACT=Diagnostic processes include the observation of personal characteristics, symptoms, signs, history and the use of diagnostic tests. Diagnostic investigations (pathology laboratory and medical imaging) aim to: increase certainty of the presence or absence of disease by supporting the process of differential diagnosis; supporting clinical management; and monitoring a patient’s trajectory (e.g., disease progression or response to treatment). 
Digital health can be defined as the collection, storage, retrieval, transmission and utilisation of data, information and knowledge to support health care. Digital health has become an essential component of the diagnostic process, helping to facilitate the accuracy and timeliness of information transfer and enhance the effectiveness of decision-making processes. Digital health is also important to diagnostic stewardship, which involves coordinated guidance and interventions to ensure the appropriate utilisation of diagnostic tests for therapeutic decision-making. Diagnostic stewardship and informatics are thus important in efforts to establish shared decision making. This is because they contribute to the establishment of shared information platforms (enabling patients to read, comment on, and share in decisions about their care) based on timely and meaningful communication. 
This paper will outline key diagnostic informatics initiatives across three interrelated fields: i) diagnostic error and the establishment of outcomes-based diagnostic research; ii) the safety and effectiveness of test result management and follow-up; and iii) digitally-enhanced decision support systems.