overdiagnose

English

Etymology

From over- +‎ diagnose.

Verb

overdiagnose (third-person singular simple present overdiagnoses, present participle overdiagnosing, simple past and past participle overdiagnosed)

  1. (medicine) To diagnose something more often than it actually occurs.
    Antonym: underdiagnose
    Health experts deny claims that they overdiagnose mental health conditions.
    • 2009 January 11, Jeanne Dorin Mcdowell, “The Four (at Least) Faces of Tara”, in New York Times‎[1]:
      Dissociative identity disorder is a contentious diagnosis: some professionals say the disorder is overdiagnosed; others say it doesn't even exist.
  2. (medicine) To diagnose as a clinical case what is truly a subclinical case.
    Her GP incorrectly referred her to a pulmonologist, overdiagnosing what was clearly a case of subclinical, mild allergy.
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