FIND statement at the plenary session on the Global Patient Safety Leaders Group during the 3rd G20 health working group meeting

Plenary session on the Global Patient Safety Leaders Group

Delivered by Krithika Raghavan, FIND, Senior Manager, Advocacy and Communications3 June 2024, Salvador, Brazil

Thank you, Chair.

Diagnostic errors can lead to delays in testing and treatment, jeopardizing patient safety. Studies have indicated that most adults will likely face at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, the consequences of which can be catastrophic. Therefore, accurate and timely diagnosis is crucial for patient safety and improved health outcomes.
Recognizing the importance of correct diagnosis in ensuring patient safety, WHO has adopted the theme “Improving diagnosis for patient safety” for this year’s World Patient Safety Day.

The G20 and the Global Patient Safety Leaders Group can play a critical role in shaping international policy on strengthening diagnostic safety by advocating for the following measures:

• Strengthening workforce capacity across all levels of the healthcare system, including primary healthcare, to minimize errors not only in confirmatory laboratory diagnosis, but also in point-of-care triaging, screening and testing,
• adopting digital health solutions including AI and clinical decision support systems that augment the capacity of healthcare workers to minimize errors during screening, diagnosis and referrals in decentralized settings, and
• implementing monitoring frameworks to learn from diagnostic errors.Thank you.