RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Patient safety: helping medical students understand error in healthcare
JF Quality and Safety in Health Care
JO Qual Saf Health Care
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 256
OP 259
DO 10.1136/qshc.2006.021014
VO 16
IS 4
A1 Rona Patey
A1 Rhona Flin
A1 Brian H Cuthbertson
A1 Louise MacDonald
A1 Kathryn Mearns
A1 Jennifer Cleland
A1 David Williams
YR 2007
UL http://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/16/4/256.abstract
AB Objective: To change the culture of healthcare organisations and improve patient safety, new professionals need to be taught about adverse events and how to trap and mitigate against errors. A literature review did not reveal any patient safety courses in the core undergraduate medical curriculum. Therefore a new module was designed and piloted. Design: A 5-h evidence-based module on understanding error in healthcare was designed with a preliminary evaluation using self-report questionnaires. Setting: A UK medical school. Participants: 110 final year students. Measurements and main results: Participants completed two questionnaires: the first questionnaire was designed to measure students’ self-ratings of knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in relation to patient safety and medical error, and was administered before and approximately 1 year after the module; the second formative questionnaire on the teaching process and how it could be improved was administered after completion of the module. Conclusions: Before attending the module, the students reported they had little understanding of patient safety matters. One year later, only knowledge and the perceived personal control over safety had improved. The students rated the teaching process highly and found the module valuable. Longitudinal follow-up is required to provide more information on the lasting impact of the module.