The World Health Organization has announced the theme for World Patient Safety Day 2024 (September 17) as “Improving diagnosis for patient safety.” World Patient Safety Day is the cornerstone of action to promote global health and safety. It is firmly grounded in the fundamental principle of medicine, “first do no harm.”
To improve diagnostic safety, the main objective for patients and families is to actively engage with health workers and healthcare leaders to improve diagnostic processes.
Here’s what you can do:
Understand and engage in the diagnostic journey.
Ensure you understand the diagnostic process, including the steps that you and your healthcare team will take to determine your diagnosis.
Engage actively with your healthcare team by sharing accurate and comprehensive information about your symptoms and medical history from the start.
Prompt your healthcare team to think comprehensively about alternative diagnoses, such as by asking “What else could it be?”
Ask about the purpose, potential risks, alternatives, and follow-up steps of any recommended diagnostic interventions.
Keep track of your health, symptoms, medical visits, and treatments.
Be informed about the expected progression of your illness, potential danger signs, and how to access care if your condition either does not improve or worsens.
Adhere to prescribed treatment plans and attend follow-up appointments.
Ensure continuity, accuracy, and validity of information.
Ask your healthcare team for information and use reliable medical information sources.
Follow up on the results of your diagnostic tests and proactively ask for the report; no news is not always good news.
Don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion if you have any doubts or uncertainties about the initial diagnosis.
Regularly check your health records to ensure that all information is documented, accurate, and up to date.
Speak up with concerns about your diagnosis and care.
Raise any concerns you may have about your diagnosis or the diagnostic process.
Many people are aware that prescription pills, tablets and capsules have unique letters and numbers on them used for pill identification. With each new prescription, it’s important to check the pill identification to ensure you have the correct medicine. Most people only complete this safety check when they first get a new prescription. However, every time you take a pill, you should make sure it is correct.
Overdoses related to “pill dumping” into a spare medication vial
Pharmacists from the Maryland Poison Center recently published several cases of what they refer to as “pill dumping.” An article in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy 1 describes the term “pill dumping” for when patients use a spare medication vial to hold multiple medications taken from different labeled prescription vials.
Potential for disabling side effects from certain antibiotics
In May, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent out a warning that fluoroquinolones, a specific type of antibiotic (listed in image), can cause very serious side effects. These disabling side effects can involve the tendons, muscles, joints, the brain, and nerves in the spine. Tearing or a complete split of the Achilles tendon at the back of the heel and lower leg is an example. These injuries can be permanent! People who have had an organ transplant, have kidney disease, the elderly, and those who have recently taken steroids to treat another condition are at greater risk of developing these side effects. 1