World Patient Safety Day, September 17: Highlighting how the Surveys on Patient Safety Culture® Equip Medical Offices to Assess the Impact of Culture on Diagnostic Processes

https://www.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/sops/surveys/medical-office/medical-office-diagnostic-safety-database-report-2024.pdf In recognition of the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) World Patient Safety Day on September 17, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) joins WHO in support of its quest to make healthcare safer. https://www.ahrq.gov/sops/surveys/medical-office/supplemental-items/diagnostic-safety.html This year’s World Patient Safety Day theme—Improving Diagnosis for Patient Safety—aligns with the purpose of AHRQ’s Surveys on Patient Safety Culture® (SOPS®) Diagnostic Safety Supplemental Item Set. https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2024/09/17/default-calendar/world-patient-safety-day-17-september-2024-improving-diagnosis-for-patient-safety The Diagnostic Safety Supplemental Item Set assesses staff perceptions of the extent to which organizational culture in medical offices supports diagnostic processes, accurate diagnoses, and communication around diagnoses. Findings from the 2024 SOPS Medical Office Diagnostic Safety Supplemental Item Set Database Report showed that: While 72 percent of staff and providers rated their organization’s overall diagnostic safety procedures favorably, medical offices with 6 or more providers were less likely to do so. Only 60 percent of respondents agreed there is enough time available to fully evaluate the conditions that patients present with, review relevant information, and finish patient notes by the end of the regular workday. Approximately 84 percent of respondents agreed that tests, referrals, and other diagnostic procedures are effectively tracked and followed, and that all results are communicated to patients.