Advancing Diagnostic Excellence in Pediatrics: A Workshop

November 5, 2026

8:30 AM - 4:30 PM (PST)

Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center
100 Academy Way
Irvine CA 92617, USA

On November 5, 2026, a planning committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will organize and conduct a public workshop to explore opportunities to improve diagnosis for children within the U.S. health care system. Workshop participants will consider the current scientific landscape and identify research opportunities to address diagnostic challenges and improve the timeliness and accuracy of diagnosis in pediatric populations.

The workshop may feature invited presentations and discussions within areas influencing diagnostic excellence in pediatric care, including:

• Delivery of patient-centered, family-oriented health care that incorporates shared decision-making, integrates input from families and caregivers, includes comprehensive patient history review and examination, and enables timely communication of diagnostic findings and their potential impact on a child’s development and growth;
• The role of technology and diagnostic innovation that could potentially enhance diagnostic safety, including the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in clinical decision support tools, data-sharing platforms to support care coordination and patient transfers, and technologies that facilitate the engagement of families and caregivers in the diagnostic process;
• Strategies to reduce barriers to high-quality diagnosis for children, including expanding access to pediatric specialty services, enhancing data systems to identify high-risk patients, and leveraging community-based approaches to improve access to diagnostic services;
• Professional education and training to strengthen diagnostic reasoning and cognitive skills, improve recognition of age-specific disease presentations, enhance communication with children and their caregivers, support interdisciplinary collaboration, and foster a culture of trust, transparency, continuous learning, and diagnostic safety; and
• Research to address evidence gaps in pediatric diagnosis.