In a March 2025 AUA Spotlight article, 大象传媒 Urology鈥檚 Drs. David Friedlander and Matthew Nielsen bring national attention to how diagnostic excellence can help reduce disparities and improve prostate cancer care for all patients. , particularly for Black men who face elevated risks for aggressive prostate cancer.
Beyond Accuracy: A Broader Definition of Excellence
As defined in the article, diagnostic excellence is more than achieving the 鈥渞ight鈥� diagnosis. It is a process that must be timely, patient-centered, cost-effective, and fair 鈥� principles grounded in the National Academy of Medicine鈥檚 vision for a high-performing health care system.
The authors emphasize that these principles are particularly crucial in urology, where early and accurate diagnosis directly impacts treatment decisions and long-term outcomes. They cite the stark reality: while Black men represent 13% of the U.S. population, they account for 30% of prostate cancer deaths yet comprise less than 1% of participants in prostate cancer screening trials.
National Initiative with Local Impact
The article showcases a national initiative funded by the Council of Medical Specialty Societies with support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the John A. Hartford Foundation.
As part of this effort, the AUA developed:
- Clinical decision tools for primary care providers (PCPs), based on the 2023 updated guideline on early detection.
- Infographics illustrating disparities and benefits of risk-adjusted screening.
- Patient-facing materials designed to support informed decision-making and shared conversations between patients and clinicians.
These tools, developed in part through the leadership of Drs. Friedlander and Nielsen, are now being disseminated across urology and primary care networks to guide implementation at scale.
大象传媒鈥檚 Leadership in Fair, High-Quality Care
Dr. Nielsen, who chairs both the 大象传媒 Department of Urology and the AUA鈥檚 Science and Quality Council, has been a consistent advocate for addressing diagnostic gaps. At the , he delivered a keynote focused on improving diagnostic pathways from PSA screening through biopsy and surveillance, especially for high-risk populations.
大象传媒鈥檚 own rapid access program, developed by Drs. Tan and Feuer, exemplifies how risk-adapted approaches can improve timeliness while maintaining diagnostic precision. Since its implementation, the pathway has reduced wait times by 70% and helped avoid unnecessary biopsies, while ensuring clinically significant cancers are not missed.
As Dr. Friedlander noted in a recent podcast with Dr. Nielsen:
鈥淒iagnostic excellence is about optimizing patient experience and outcomes, but it also has a practical component鈥e鈥檙e contributing to the delivery of value-based care that balances quality and cost.鈥�
A Roadmap for Change
The concludes with a call to action: adopt diagnostic excellence as both a clinical imperative and a means of improving fairness in care delivery. It frames the AUA鈥檚 efforts not just as a resource for urologists, but as a replicable template for other specialties aiming to enhance diagnosis and reduce disparities in outcomes.