courseTitle
Patient safety
courseCode
CMD 421
Credits
1
Theoretical
5
Total Content
6
courseType
optional 3
Course id
3985205
Course Description
Health-care outcomes have significantly improved with the scientific discoveries of modern medicine. However, studies from a multitude of countries show that with these benefits come significant risks to patient safety. We have learnt that hospitalized patients are at risk of suffering an adverse event, and patients on medication have the risk of medication errors and adverse reactions. A major consequence of this knowledge has been the development of patient safety as a specialized discipline to assist health-care professionals, managers, health-care organizations, governments (worldwide) and consumers who must become familiar with patient safety concepts and principles. Everyone is affected. The tasks ahead of health care are immense and require all those involved in care to understand the extent of harm to patients and why health care must move to adopt a safety culture. Patient safety education and training is only beginning to occur at all levels. Health-care students, as future providers of health care and health-care leaders, must prepare themselves to practise safe care. Though the curricula of the different health-care professions are continually changing to accommodate the latest discoveries and new knowledge, patient safety knowledge is different because it applies to all areas of practice and to all professions. Health-care students will need to know how systems impact on the quality and safety of health care, how poor communication can lead to adverse events and much more. Students need to learn how to manage these challenges. Patient safety is not a traditional stand-alone discipline; rather, it is one that integrates into all areas of health care. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Patient Safety programme. Patient safety is everyone’s business and ranges from patients to politicians. As health-care students are among the future leaders in health care, it is vital that they are knowledgeable and skillful in their application of patient safety principles and concepts. Building students’ patient safety knowledge needs to occur throughout the entire education and training of health-care students. Patient safety skills and behaviours should begin as soon as a student enters a hospital, clinic or health service. By getting students to focus on each individual patient, having them treat each patient as a unique human being, and using their knowledge and skills carefully, students themselves can be role models for others in the health-care system. Most health-care students have high aspirations when they enter into their chosen field, but the reality of health-care systems sometimes deflates their optimism. We want students to be able to maintain their optimism and believe that they can make a difference, both to the individual lives of patients and the health-care system. Patient safety course focus on effective student learning about patient safety. It highlights the key risks of health care and how to manage them, shows how to recognize adverse events and hazards, report and analyses them. It teaches about team-work and the importance of clear communication across all levels of health care, whilst emphasizing the importance of engaging with patients and careers to build and sustain a culture of patient safety. Course will inspire the future generation of health-care professionals to embark on a lifelong quest to provide their patients with the best quality and safest care they deserve.