Evaluation of the Diagnostic Accuracy of Oral and Maxillofacial Lesions in Referred Patients to Oral Medicine Department of Mashhad Dental School and the Educational Implications

Background: Medical error is defined as an adverse event caused by medical management, which can be prevented. The aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy of diagnosis of oral and maxillofacial diseases made by health care practitioners. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was done between Apr. 2009 and Mar.2010. 372 Patients with oral and maxillofacial lesions who had referred to oral medicine Department of Mashhad dental school or had examined by health care practitioners were examined by two oral medicine specialists and a self established questionnaire was completed. The main aim of this questionnaire was to investigate the accuracy of diagnosis of oral and maxillofacial diseases made by health care practitioners. Histopathologic evaluation was made to achieve a definite diagnosis. Results: Only 30/6% of initial diagnoses were consistent with the diagnosis made by oral medicine specialists. Lichen planus and inflammatory hyperplasia have been the most common diseases which health care practitioners did not mention a diagnosis for them.Among the most common misdiagnosis lichen planus and abscess each involved 8 percent of misdiagnosis. Conclusions: Unfortunately in present study there was little compatibility between diagnosis of dentists and practitioners with oral medicine specialist. Sometimes misdiagnosis results in postponing the treatment, patients` suffering and leads to side effects of unnecessary or incorrect treatment. As old people are more susceptible to oral diseases and lesions, there should be a holistic effort to find the cause of present problems and then resolving them through educational promoting and expanding the teamwork among physicians to diagnosis and treatment of the patients.