People’s experiences of diagnosis (National Voices, 11 June 2024)

Summary

This report from National Voices called People’s experiences of diagnosis, brings together insights from people with lived experience and our members on the entire process of diagnosis – from trying to get an appointment for a diagnostic referral, to undergoing tests, and experiences post-diagnosis.

The report covers the themes of challenges in diagnosis, inequalities in diagnosis, and new innovation in diagnosis, before concluding with nine recommendations for improving patient experience of diagnosis.

These nine recommendations include: 

• Adjustments and adaptations to enable access 
• Provide better support while waiting 
• Listen to the patient 
• Better communication around diagnosis 
• Make sure people have a plan 
• Provide access to support groups 
• Collect better data to understand the driver of diagnostic health inequalities, and act on it rapidly 
• Upskill, coordinate and ultimately increase the workforce 
• Have health equity embedded into new innovations the start.

Related reading on the hub:

This year’s World Patient Safety Day on 17 September 2024 (WPSD 2024) is focused on the theme “Improving diagnosis for patient safety”. Find out more.