World Patient Safety Day 2024: Improving Diagnosis for Patient Safety
As we mark Patient Safety Day 2024, the focus this year is on a critical aspect of healthcare: Improving Diagnosis for Patient Safety. Whether in primary or secondary care, ensuring accurate, timely, and appropriate diagnoses can significantly reduce harm to patients.
Let’s explore some key challenges in diagnosis that impact patient safety:
- Delayed Diagnosis
A delayed diagnosis occurs when a health condition is not identified early enough, leading to preventable harm. This often happens due to a failure to use the correct tests, reliance on outdated assessment methods, or failing to act on the results of monitoring or testing. Early detection is key to improving outcomes and preventing unnecessary complications.
- Incorrect Diagnosis
When patients receive an incorrect diagnosis, they may undergo inappropriate treatments, which can result in anything from ineffective treatment to harmful patient outcomes. Furthermore, the real cause of their condition remains unaddressed, delaying the appropriate care they need to recover.
- Missed Diagnosis
A missed diagnosis occurs when a condition is entirely overlooked. This can lead to a patient’s illness worsening over time, often causing avoidable harm as the necessary treatment is not provided. The effects of this may even be fatal.
These diagnostic challenges highlight the importance of embedding quality and safety into every aspect of healthcare. Governance plays a pivotal role in ensuring that patient safety remains at the heart of strategic decisions. By fostering a culture where concerns are raised and incidents are reported, we can learn from these situations and continually improve the standards of care.
COMI are experts in patient safety and quality governance. If you need assistance with improving and maintaining patient safety metrics, COMI can work alongside you to get there.
Partner with COMI to enhance your healthcare facility’s diagnostic accuracy and patient safety outcomes. With our expertise in patient safety and quality governance, we provide tailored solutions that help you prevent diagnostic errors and ensure the highest standard of care.
