World Patient Safety Day 2024: “How Diagnostic Improvement is Going to Ensure Safety of Patients”

• Posted on 11-10-2024
• blog
• By 1

Quality healthcare is vital in the lives of people improving their comfort and, addressing their health issues. On the contrary, errors occur in advanced healthcare systems and the ramifications of these errors can be far-reaching. One important aspect of patient safety is the provision of an accurate diagnosis. A step that when taken for granted or poorly executed can put at risk the health and safety of the family. To emphasize the importance of this problem, World Patient Safety Day 2024 has appointed “Improving Diagnosis for Patient Safety” as the theme of the Day along with the powerful slogan, “Get it right, make it safe!”.

Once every year, on September 17, members of the global healthcare society work to instill the understanding of the imperative of appropriate diagnosis and bring public attention to the problem of diagnostic errors. This year especially the slogan seems to capture a basic fact of life that in health care, arriving at the accurate diagnosis comes first and foremost in the process towards ensuring patient safety. Leveraging the diagnostic process will help the medical profession avoid unnecessary risks and also establish a good level of care to all.

Understanding the Impact of Diagnostic Errors

Errors in diagnosis arise as a result of errors of delay, errors of diagnosis, or errors of no diagnosis. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that 12 million instances of diagnostic errors are made each year in primary care settings alone, which is a huge figure. Not only do these errors result in unneeded surgical procedures or postponed actions, but they also add to the mortality and morbidity risks as well.

So, the major diagnostic step is significant for the patient safety as it makes treatment effective and correct. It is especially true when something goes wrong at this stage when it leads to a series of wrong steps, including wrong therapies, further aggravation of the medical problem and, clinical death, among others.

The repercussions of mistakes made in diagnosis have a significant impact as follows:

Misdiagnosis- The condition in question may be undertreated, treated innocently or treated aggravatively, because of mistreatment. For example, a stroke in a patient may get misdiagnosed for a migraine thus preventing timely interventions that could save his life.

Delayed Diagnosis- Failure to diagnose a condition within an acceptable time frame may mean that the condition has deteriorated into an advanced stage which is less likely to respond well to treatment and may require aggressive invasive procedures, or even worse surgeries, and incur higher risks.

Failure to Diagnose- On the other hand, not even recognizing one such diagnosis is equally disturbing, for people may suffer in silence without the help they need for some time.

Considering these threats, it is obvious that the improvement of the diagnostic process is equally important in terms of eliminating avoidable injuries in healthcare systems. Not surprisingly, the theme for the World Patient Safety Day 2024 focuses on ever-important diagnosis and implements a call for more awareness, cooperation and activity aimed at improving it than is currently the case and protecting every patient.

Why there is need to stress more the importance of correct diagnosis- 

Taking into consideration the stage of diagnosis there is more than one factor at play which of course entails several steps; sourcing patient information, physical examination, carrying out tests, interpreting results and incorporating case management. At every point of this process, there are chances of making a mistake especially with breakdown in communication, misapplication of technology, or overworking of a centralized health care system.

The 2024 Theme: “Get it Right, Make it Safe!”

The slogan for this year’s World Patient Safety Day, “Get it right, make it safe!”, is a call to action for everyone in healthcare—doctors, nurses, healthcare administrators, policymakers, and patients themselves. Getting the diagnosis right is not only about medical precision but also about fostering an environment where safety and accuracy are prioritized at every level of care.

Strategies for Improvement

World Patient Safety Day 2024 encourages several strategies to ensure the theme of “Improving Diagnosis for Patient Safety” is realized:

1. Education and Training: Healthcare professionals must receive continuous training on improving diagnostic reasoning, recognizing cognitive biases, and utilizing technology effectively.

2. Policy Reforms: Governments and healthcare institutions must create policies that support diagnostic accuracy. This includes reducing healthcare provider workloads, encouraging second opinions, and improving access to advanced diagnostic tools.

3. Collaboration: Open dialogue between different members of the healthcare team, from primary care physicians to specialists and allied health professionals, is vital to ensure that diagnoses are thoroughly reviewed and discussed.

4. Patient-Centered Approaches: Healthcare providers should empower patients to take an active role in their care. Encouraging patients to ask questions, seek second opinions, and provide detailed health histories helps minimize diagnostic errors.

Conclusion: A Global Call to Action

World Patient Safety Day 2024 is a reminder that accurate diagnosis is not just a clinical necessity but a moral responsibility in healthcare. The theme, “Improving Diagnosis for Patient Safety,” and the slogan, “Get it right, make it safe!”, serve as a clarion call to the global health community. By improving the accuracy of diagnoses, we can reduce patient harm, improve outcomes, and create a healthcare system that truly prioritizes safety. Whether through policy reform, technological innovation, or greater collaboration between patients and providers, the mission is clear: ensure that every patient receives the right diagnosis at the right time, and in doing so, make healthcare safer for all.