WHO highlights safe diagnosis during global campaign for patient safety

Recognizing the urgent need for a comprehensive global effort to reduce errors in medical diagnoses, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on all stakeholders to “Fix it, Make it Safe!” as part of the 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 policy makers – to highlight how everyone has a key role to play in reducing the risk and impact of diagnostic errors.

“The right diagnosis, at the right time, is the basis of safe and effective health care. In contrast, diagnostic errors can lead to serious injury and even death,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Reducing this risk requires collaboration between health professionals and managers, policy makers and regulators, civil society and the private sector, and most importantly, patients and their families.”

Each year, diagnostic errors cause an estimated 16% of preventable health care harm, with enormous 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 prevent death.

A diagnostic error is when a diagnosis is delayed, inaccurate, missed or miscommunicated and can happen at any stage of the patient journey. Targeted interventions by policy makers, health care managers, healthcare professionals, medical product regulators and manufacturers, with the active participation of patients, their families and civil society can help reduce the risk of error.

Policy makers should ensure the existence and implementation of appropriate national guidelines, protocols and regulations and allocate the necessary budget and resources. Leaders of healthcare institutions and programs should create a safe and conducive work environment, promote continuous improvement and ensure the application of appropriate systems, standards and processes. Healthcare facility and program managers should also ensure that diagnostic tools and technologies are well maintained, quickly sharing user feedback with the manufacturer to improve the system.

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, voicing concerns, and following up on test results. Healthcare professionals should actively engage their patients while integrating excellence into every stage of the diagnostic process.

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

The GPSAP serves as an action framework for stakeholders working toward the goal of safe and high-quality health care for all patients. Recently published Global Patient Safety Report 2024 highlighted the progress many countries have made towards the GPSAP targets, but also highlighted the huge room for further improvement. An Implementation Model for Improving Diagnostic Safety will be published in 2025 as one of a series of tools and practical resources from the World Health Organization to help stakeholders progress towards the goals set out in the GPSAP.

Note to the editor

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