17 September 2024

World Patient Safety Day 2024: a focus on reducing diagnostic error

Helen Hughes

Helen Hughes, Chief Executive of the charity Patient Safety Learning, tells us more about World Patient Safety Day 2024 and why this year’s theme of ‘Improving diagnosis for patient safety'’ is so important.

Health inequalities
Person-centred care
Primary care

A bit about us…

Established as a charity nearly 6 years ago, Patient Safety Learning was born from the frustration of seeing the same patient safety themes emerge time and time again in healthcare systems around the world.

But what exactly do we mean by patient safety?

Simply put, patient safety is about preventing avoidable harm and reducing the risk of harm to people during their care and treatment. Our role is to be an independent voice for improving patient safety, and to work with others to share insights and knowledge for system-wide change and the reduction of harm.

We support safety improvement through policy, influencing and campaigning, as well as the development of ‘how to’ resources such as the hub, our free award-winning platform to share learning.

World Patient Safety Day 2024: Improving diagnosis for patient safety

Today (17 September 2024) marks the sixth annual World Patient Safety Day, organised by the World Health Organization (WHO). The theme of this year’s event is ‘Improving diagnosis for patient safety’.

Errors can happen at every stage of the diagnostic process and can happen in all healthcare settings. WHO estimates that diagnostic errors account for nearly 16% of preventable harm across healthcare systems.

Sadly, the reality is that we are likely to face at least one diagnostic error in our lifetime. This could be due to a delayed diagnosis, incorrect diagnosis or missed diagnosis. All of these have the potential to lead to poorer health outcomes, increased stress and anxiety and, in some cases, death.

Diagnostic safety can be significantly improved by addressing the systems-based issues and cognitive factors that can lead to diagnostic errors.

Highlighting diagnostic safety issues

In support of this year’s World Patient Safety Day, we are highlighting how important it is for patients to get a correct and timely diagnosis. Today, we have published a number of case studies, opinion pieces and patient experiences focused on diagnostic safety via our global award-winning platform the hub (sign up here for free).

These articles show the complexity and breadth of diagnostic safety, the impact on patients and families, and how some of these issues could be addressed. Importantly, they also evidence the need for healthcare professionals to really listen to patients if diagnostic error is to be reduced.

Please do have a read, share widely and let us know your thoughts:

Do you share our vision for safer care?

Collaboration is key to improving patient safety and our work at Patient Safety Learning. Our team would love to hear from anyone who is interested in sharing experiences and insights relating to diagnostic safety, or wider patient safety issues. Please do get in touch with us at content@patientsafetylearning.org to find out more or share your thoughts.

You can also keep up to speed with our work and the latest patient safety news by signing up to our hub newsletterand following us on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads and Bluesky.

Biography

Helen Hughes is Chief Executive of Patient Safety Learning. Her passion for improved patient safety is informed by personal family insight into the impact of unsafe care and the ineffectiveness of organisational responses to learn from error. Helen is an experienced leader in organisational effectiveness and transformational change.

Related members

Patient Safety Learning
Patient Safety Learning is a charity and independent voice for improving patient safety.

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