Patients for Patient Safety US Announces Patient Safety and Health Equity Summit

WASHINGTON, DC / June 18, 2024 / Patients for Patient Safety US (PFPS US) invites Americans affected by diagnostic errors, bias, or medical malpractice to a Summit in Washington, D.C., from Sept. 15-17, 2024. The Summit coincides with World Patient Safety Day on Sept. 17, themed “Improving Diagnosis for Patient Safety.”

Diagnostic errors account for 10% of patient deaths, impacting nearly 800,000 people in the U.S. each year. These errors particularly harm marginalized communities. Sue Sheridan, co-founder of PFPS US, highlighted the deadly consequences of diagnostic bias.

Summit activities include a welcome reception at Johns Hopkins University on Sept. 15, Capitol Hill visits on Sept. 16 to urge lawmakers to ACT Now for patient safety, and a March for Patient Safety on Sept. 17. The event concludes with a leadership briefing at the Bloomberg Center.

Martin Hatlie, PFPS US co-founder, described the Summit as a call-to-action for nationwide implementation of known solutions to patient safety issues.

PFPS US is also sponsoring scholarships for advocates from marginalized communities to attend the event. For more details and participation, visit https://www.pfps.us/wpsd-2024.