WHO emphasises safe diagnosis in global patient safety campaign

Recognizing the urgent need for a broad global effort to reduce medical diagnostic errors, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on all stakeholders to “Get it Right, Get it Safe!” as part of its World Patient Safety Day campaign on September 17. The theme “Improving Diagnosis for Patient Safety” was chosen in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders – from patients to policymakers – to highlight how everyone plays a critical role in reducing the risks and impact of diagnostic errors.

“The right diagnosis, at the right time, is the foundation for safe and effective health care. However, diagnostic errors can lead to serious harm and even death,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Reducing this risk requires collaboration between health workers and managers, policymakers and regulators, civil society and the private sector, and importantly, patients and their families.”

Diagnostic errors account for an estimated 16% of preventable harm in healthcare each year, with enormous human and economic consequences. Data suggests that most adults will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, which can result in long-term ill health, increased healthcare costs, or even preventable death.

Diagnostic error is when a diagnosis is delayed, incorrect, missed or miscommunicated and can occur at any stage of a patient’s journey. Targeted interventions by policymakers, healthcare leaders, health professionals, medical product regulators and manufacturers, with the active involvement of patients, their families and civil society, can help reduce the risk of errors.

Policymakers should ensure that appropriate national guidelines, protocols, and regulations exist and are implemented, and that necessary budget and resources are allocated. Facility and program managers should create safe and conducive work environments, promote continuous improvement, and ensure that adequate systems, standards, and processes are in place. Facility and program managers should also ensure that diagnostic devices and technologies are properly maintained, and that user feedback is shared promptly with the manufacturer to improve systems.

At the individual level, patients and their families should proactively participate in the diagnostic process by sharing their symptoms and complete medical history, asking questions, raising concerns, and following up on test results. Health care professionals should actively engage their patients while integrating excellence into every phase of the diagnostic process.

WHO is developing a model to support the implementation of diagnostic safety interventions. On 10-12 September, the World Patient Safety 2024 Global Consultation, hosted by WHO, brought together patients, patient advocates, health professionals, healthcare facility managers, policymakers, diagnostic safety experts, and academic and research institutions to provide input into the implementation model. Participants also discussed progress and challenges in implementing the Global Patient Safety Action Plan (GPSAP) 2021-2030.

The GPSAP serves as a framework for action for stakeholders to work toward the goal of safe and high-quality healthcare for all patients. The recently released Global Patient Safety Report 2024 highlighted the progress made by many countries toward the GPSAP goals, but also underscored the enormous room for further improvement. The implementation model for improving diagnostic safety will be released in 2025 as one of a series of WHO tools and practical resources to help stakeholders make progress toward the goals set in the GPSAP.

Note to the editor

World Patient Safety Day was established in 2019 to promote actions needed to improve patient safety worldwide. Each year, a new theme is chosen to highlight a priority area. More information about the World Patient Safety Day 2024 campaign can be found on the WHO website.