Incorporating patient safety and quality into the medical school curriculum: An assessment of student gains

Background: Global efforts are being made to improve health care standards and the quality of care provided. It has been shown through research that the introduction of patient safety (PS) and quality improvement (QI) concepts in the medical curriculum prepares medical students to face future challenges in their professional careers.Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate how a brief course on QI and PS affects the knowledge, efficacy, and system thinking of medical students.Methods: A 5-day QI and PS intervention course was implemented at the Aga Khan University medical college for 98 third-year medical students in March 2021. This weeklong course of lectures, interactive sessions, and hands-on skill workshops was conducted before the students began their clinical rotations. Students\u27 knowledge, self-efficacy, and system thinking were assessed with pretest and posttest. Students were also asked to write personal reflections and fill out a satisfaction survey at the end of the intervention.Results: Comparisons of pretest and posttest scores showed that the course significantly improved students\u27 knowledge by a mean of 2.92 points (95% confidence interval, 2.30-3.53; P \u3c 0.001) and system thinking by 0.16 points (95% confidence interval, 0.03-0.29; P = 0.018) of the maximum scores of 20 and 5 points, respectively. The students\u27 self-assessment of PS knowledge also reflected statistically significant increases in all 9 domains (P \u3c 0.001). Students reported positive experiences with this course in their personal reflections.Conclusions: The medical students exhibited increases in knowledge, self-efficacy, and system thinking after this weeklong intervention. The design of the course can be modified as needed and implemented at other institutions in low- and middle-income countries. A targeted long-term assessment of knowledge and attitudes is needed to fully evaluate the impact of this course

Exploring the nature of interprofessional collaboration and family member involvement in an intensive care context

Little is known about the nature of interprofessional collaboration on intensive care units (ICUs), despite its recognition as a key component of patient safety and quality improvement initiatives. This comparative ethnographic study addresses this gap in knowledge and explores the different factors that influence collaborative work in the ICU. It aims to develop an empirically grounded team diagnostic tool, and associated interventions to strengthen team-based care and patient family involvement. This iterative study is comprised of three phases: a scoping review, a multi-site ethnographic study in eight ICUs over 2 years; and the development of a diagnostic tool and associated interprofessional intervention-development. This study's multi-site design and the richness and breadth of its data maximize its potential to improve clinical outcomes through an enhanced understanding of interprofessional dynamics and how patient family members in ICU settings are best included in care processes. Our research dissemination strategy, as well as the diagnostic tool and associated educational interventions developed from this study will help transfer the study's findings to other settings