World Patient Safety Day 2024: Improving Diagnosis for Patient Safety

World Patient Safety Day is here, and this year the theme is crucial to our healthcare system: “Improving Diagnosis for Patient Safety” with the slogan “Get it right, make it safe!”

Started by the World Health Organization (WHO), World Patient Safety Day is an opportunity to raise public awareness and foster collaboration between patients, health workers, policymakers, and healthcare leaders to improve patient safety.

We believe that by equipping patients with the right tools and knowledge, they can become proactive advocates for their health. So together with our newest partner, Patient Rising, we are honoring this important day with a reminder that providing patients with access to safe, reliable medical devices is non-negotiable.

While innovation in medical technology is transforming the landscape of healthcare diagnostics, we must do all we can to ensure that the integrity of medical devices is kept intact. Our systems have never been more connected, enabling faster, more accurate diagnoses that can significantly improve patient outcomes. However, with rapid advancements come new challenges.

Medical devices are critical to meeting healthcare needs and ensuring accurate diagnoses. To maintain their integrity, it is essential that access to sophisticated equipment used by medical professionals is monitored and kept to regulated repair entities.

Consumer-centric policies like right to repair for medical devices encourage more untrained and unauthorized third-party companies to access the complex devices that uphold patient safety. It is simply an unnecessary risk that won’t have a broad positive impact on consumers or patients, unlike this movement in other sectors.

Collaboration is key. By working closely with the healthcare community, we can ensure that innovation continues to make our devices and their diagnoses more effective and accurate. Coordination will also help us anticipate potential threats to this delicate system.

Our goal is to make sure that the medical devices patients rely on not only meet their needs but also adhere to the highest safety standards.

On this World Patient Safety Day, we call on everyone—patients, healthcare providers, policymakers, and innovators—to join us in our mission. Let’s work together to “Get it right, make it safe!” and ensure a future where patient safety is at the forefront of healthcare.