Diagnostic errors are one of healthcare’s toughest patient safety challenges, often resulting from a combination of cognitive biases, communication breakdowns, workflow issues and system vulnerabilities rather than individual mistakes. National research estimates that serious harm from diagnostic error affects hundreds of thousands of patients annually, underscoring the need for focused improvement efforts.
The Northwest Safety & Quality Patient Safety Organization (NWSQ PSO) identified diagnostic safety as a key focus in its inaugural Patient Safety Trend Report, urging organizations to use data to anticipate risk, identify trends and prevent harm before it occurs.
Participation in the NWSQ PSO enables hospitals, clinics and ancillary healthcare services, including cancer care, laboratory, behavioral health and other care settings, to learn from industry-wide safety events. Through benchmarking, expert analysis and peer collaboration, participants identify emerging risks, address system vulnerabilities and implement evidence-informed improvements that strengthen safety culture and prevent patient harm.
The NWSQ PSO is more than a reporting system. It helps organizations learn from adverse events and near misses, spot risks and make changes before similar events happen locally. This collaborative approach speeds learning, supports CMS Patient Safety Structural Measure expectations and reinforces a culture of transparency and constant improvement.
NWSQ PSO participation helps organizations move from reacting to safety events to finding risks before they cause harm. Through shared learning, trusted reporting and practical data, participants build a stronger safety culture, improve care and make healthcare safer for patients, families and care teams.
For more information and to get involved, contact: [email protected]. ([email protected])