17 September marked the World Patient Safety Day.
World Patient Safety Day was established in 2019 to promote measures needed to improve patient safety globally.
World Health Organization (WHO) calls on all stakeholders to “Get it right, make it safe!” for urgent need to reduce global errors in medical diagnosis.
“The right diagnosis, at the right time, is the basis of safe and effective health care. By contrast, diagnostic errors can lead to serious harm, and even death,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Each year, diagnostic errors account for an estimated 16% of preventable harm in health care, with tremendous human and economic consequences. Data suggest that most adults will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, which can result in prolonged ill health, increased health care costs, or even preventable death, said the WHO.
WHO is developing a model to support the implementation of diagnostic safety interventions.
On 10–12 September the WHO-convened World Patient Safety 2024 Global Consultation brought together patients, patient advocates, health workers, health care facility managers, policy-makers, diagnostic safety experts, and academic and research institutions to provide input on the implementation model.. WHO added.
Participants also discussed the progress and challenges in implementing the Global Patient Safety Action Plan (GPSAP) 2021–2030.
The GPSAP serves as an action framework for stakeholders to work towards the goal of safe and high-quality health care for all patients, WHO further added.
