Upholding Patient Safety In Diagnostics: A Path To Building Trust - Dr Ajay Phadke

1. Significance of Patient Safety in India's Healthcare Landscape:

India's primary healthcare network is critical in shaping its socio-economic development. However, the healthcare delivery system in India faces numerous challenges, and one often overlooked issue is patient safety. With disparities between public and private healthcare settings, standardizing care can seem daunting. Therefore, ensuring patient safety and establishing trust should be at the heart of the healthcare system.

2. Role of Diagnostics in Patient Safety:

A global health priority primarily involves minimizing avoidable harm. Diagnostics play a pivotal role in this context, as approximately 70% of clinical decisions are informed by laboratory results. Therefore, the significance of laboratory services in ensuring patient safety cannot be emphasized enough. However, building trust in these services can be challenging since laboratories seldom interact directly with patients, particularly in a hospital environment. The key to establishing trust is through the accuracy and reliability of reports, coupled with timely delivery.

3. Communication- The Backbone of Trust:

Effective communication also plays a vital role in patient safety. Despite globally standard services, ineffective communication strategies can cause trust to waver. Thus, fostering precise, timely, and well-planned communication methods is integral to creating trust within the patient community.

4. State of Diagnostics in India and the Need for Regulation:

India currently has around 39 diagnostic labs per million people, starkly contrasting the US's 418 labs per million and Brazil's 60 per million. The diagnostic sector's regulatory landscape in India also differs from that of other developed and developing countries. The absence of a solid regulatory framework and a shortage of skilled personnel have led to a trust deficit among patients. As a result, there is a pressing need to encourage accreditations, establish minimum standards, and recognize laboratory professionals' essential work. Further, continuous training and skill development are equally crucial for these professionals.

5. Importance of Accreditation in Building Trust:

Accreditation is a testament to trust. Accreditation from third-party entities like the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) helps determine whether a laboratory adheres to established guidelines. Adopting and consistently applying systems, protocols, and guidelines can mitigate diagnostic errors. Many large, organized laboratories have voluntarily sought accreditation from bodies like NABL and the College of American Pathologists (CAP), signalling their commitment to accuracy and reliability. This seal of trust assists patients in making informed decisions when selecting a lab partner, and doctors are more likely to place faith in reports from an accredited laboratory.

6. Incorporation of Technological Advancements:

The advent of new technologies can help improve the diagnostic process by increasing efficiency and reducing errors. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, for instance, can assist in image interpretation or data analysis. Digitalization can also promote better record-keeping, enhancing the accessibility and integrity of patients' health information.

7. Interdisciplinary Collaboration: 

Interdisciplinary Collaboration among physicians, pathologists, and laboratory professionals can improve patient safety by ensuring that tests are correctly ordered and interpreted. In addition, regular meetings and discussions can help identify common errors and provide opportunities for continued learning and improvement.

8. Promoting Patient Engagement:

Patients are integral stakeholders in healthcare delivery. Encouraging them to understand the diagnostic process, their test results, and subsequent implications can foster an environment of transparency and trust. Informed patients can better participate in their healthcare decisions, improving patient safety.

9. Regular Maintenance and Quality Checks:

Regular maintenance and quality checks of laboratory equipment ensure that they function optimally and provide accurate results. A robust quality control program can detect discrepancies before they affect patient results, thus ensuring patient safety.

10. Ethical Conduct:

Ethical Conduct is fundamental to patient safety. All healthcare professionals, including those in diagnostics, should maintain confidentiality and respect patient rights. Upholding ethical standards promotes patient trust and safety.

11. Building a Culture of Safety:

Establishing a culture of safety within healthcare organizations, where errors are treated as opportunities for learning and improvement rather than reasons for punishment, can encourage transparency and reporting of errors. This culture can lead to implementing strategies to prevent such errors' recurrence, thereby improving patient safety.

Ultimately, patient safety transcends the boundary of being just a healthcare concern—it becomes a matter of national significance. The progress in patient safety directly corresponds to the health of our society, and diagnostics, as a key part of healthcare, have an enormous role in shaping this journey.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are of the author and not of Medical Dialogues. The Editorial/Content team of Medical Dialogues has not contributed to the writing/editing/packaging of this article.