DEX26: Diagnostic Excellence 2026 Meeting
Monday, October 5 - Wednesday, October 7
Simmons University
300 Fenway
Boston, MA 02215
Registration is now closed.
To receive updates, subscribe to our DEX mailing list here or stay tuned to the UCSF CODEX LinkedIn page.
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About DEX26
To receive updates, subscribe to our DEX mailing list here or stay tuned to the UCSF CODEX LinkedIn page.
The Diagnostic Excellence 2026 Meeting (DEX26) will bring together experts, learners, early-career professionals, researchers, educators, and patients to advance diagnostic excellence in healthcare. Through scientific presentations, collaborative workshops, interactive discussions, and networking opportunities, we'll explore the latest advances, share knowledge, and drive meaningful progress.
This year's co-hosts are UCSF CODEX, Boston Children's Hospital, and CIDM (Community Improving Diagnosis in Medicine).
This meeting is dedicated to improving diagnosis in healthcare. DEX26 will:
- Commence with presentations reviewing the trajectory of efforts to promote diagnostic excellence and a state-of-the-science review and discussion.
- Present and discuss research advances and ongoing studies through both open discussions and presentations of oral abstracts and posters.
- Include sessions focused on measurement and assessment of progress in improving diagnosis.
- Include designated sessions to present advances in clinical reasoning, how to teach these skills, and how to optimize clinical reasoning in practice, designed with medical educators in mind.
- Highlight considerations of how AI, "the new kid on the block" can be used to promote diagnostic excellence in research, education, and practice.
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Venue
Venue
Simmons University
300 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02215
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Keynote Speakers
We are thrilled to welcome such influential and impactful voices to DEX26.
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Robert Wachter, MD—best-selling author, professor and chair of the UCSF Department of Medicine, and widely regarded as the "father of hospital medicine"—will join us for an intimate fireside chat on Monday, October 5. The format of this session means you'll get Dr. Wachter's candid perspective up close, followed by ample time for live questions! Dr. Wachter coined the term "hospitalist" and has spent decades shaping how we think about healthcare quality, patient safety, and the future of medicine. His newest book, A Giant Leap, is already a bestseller, cementing him as a pivotal voice as AI transforms delivery of care and health outcomes for generations to come. |
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Alexandra Sifferlin, a health and science journalist, will join us for a discussion on how diagnostic error is covered in the media, offering a candid, non-academic perspective on the stories that shape how patients, families, and the broader public think about diagnostic excellence. Be sure to bring your question for the Q&A portion of the session. She is the author of the recently published book, The Elusive Body: Patients, Doctors, and the Diagnosis Crisis. She is the deputy editor of the Science desk at The New York Times. Previously, she was the health and science editor for The New York Times opinion desk, the deputy editor of Elemental, and a staff writer at Time Magazine. |
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Tony Breu, MD, is an internist/hospitalist at the Harvard Medical School, who will be the discussant for our Wednesday keynote session, "Clinical Problem Solving." He is the co-host of The Curious Clinicians podcast, which asks: Why do diseases present in certain ways? What are the mechanisms of treatments we use? Why does the human body function as it does? Dr. Breu is a practicing hospitalist at the VA Boston Healthcare System. His areas of interest include advance directives, the use of CPR and mechanical ventilation, and common dilemmas facing inpatient providers. |
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Agenda
The detailed agenda is now available. Details are subject to change.
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Social Media Toolkit
Planning to attend or present at DEX26 in Boston from October 5-7? Use our new ready-to-share templates to spread the word and help grow our community of clinicians, educators, researchers, patients, and others dedicated to advancing diagnostic excellence.
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Call for Abstract Submissions - Closed
Share your research findings, applied innovations, and patient and family contributions that highlight the challenges of and paths forward for achieving diagnostic excellence. Click below for details about the abstract categories and requirements.
Submission Requirements
- Abstracts must be 300 words or less and should adhere to the IMRaD format (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion)
- At least one author must attend the conference to present their work
- Names, degrees, institutions/affiliations, and abstract titles will be printed as listed in this submission form.
- Authors may submit more than one abstract
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Call for Shark Tank Ideas - Closed
This year at DEX26, pitch your idea and receive targeted feedback from peers and senior diagnostic excellence leaders on your research, operational innovations, and how you're improving diagnosis in practice. Learn more details about submission requirements and topic areas for this new plenary session by clicking below.
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CIDM Mark L Graber Diagnostic Quality Award Nominations - Closed
The Community Improving Diagnosis in Medicine (CIDM) annually recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to advancing the safety and quality of diagnosis. The award recognizes either a total body of work (“lifetime achievement”) or a significant contribution in the field. The nominee can have had an influence in the fields of education, research, practice improvement, patient engagement, and/or policy. The “CIDM Mark L Graber Diagnostic Quality Award” will be presented at the DEX-2026 meeting in Boston, MA, this coming October.
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Credits and Accreditation
Credits
AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (16.50 hours), American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) Category 1 CME (16.50 hours), American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) Contact Hours (16.50 hours), American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC) CE Credits (16.50 hours), Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) CE Credits (16.50 hours)
Accreditation
In support of improving patient care, the University of California, San Francisco Office of CME is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
IPCE Credit: UCSF Office of CME designates this Live Activity for a maximum of 16.50 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) Credit(s).
AAPA Credit: UCSF Office of CME has been authorized by the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria.
This activity is designated for 16.50 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. PAs should only claim credit
commensurate with the extent of their participation.
ANCC Credit: UCSF Office of CME designates this Activity for a maximum of 16.50 ANCC contact hours.
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Contact
Please email [email protected] with any questions. Thank you for your interest in DEX26!
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Previous Meetings
View information about previous DEX meetings here.