Course: Patient Safety

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Patient Safety Homepage
Welcome to the course on Patient Safety

This course is intended for healthcare professionals anywhere in the world to equip them with the basic concepts of Patient Safety.

The course is divided into 11 Modules. Each module includes:
- Learning Outcomes: What knowledge or skills you will have gained from that module.
- Resources: A patient story followed by an introduction to the module with links to the relevant WHO handout and optional reading.
- Reflection: You will be asked a question related to the patient safety module being studied to prompt you to apply the knowledge gained from the module in the setting you work. You can post your reflection, and will then be enrolled in a discussion forum and will be notified of others who also post their reflections. You are welcome to reply to them.
- Quiz: MCQs are a useful self-assessment tool so at the end of every module, you are invited to answer a few MCQs.
Approximate time for completion of this course is 11 hours at an average reading rate of 144 words/minute.
The course is hosted by NextGenU as an Open Access Course. It utilizes evidence-based handouts developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in accordance with their “Multi-professional Patient Safety Curriculum Guide” and used with authorization from WHO. The course developer is Dr. Aly Feroze, Certified in Healthcare Quality and Management (CHCQM) and Fellow American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians (ABQAURP) who has served in the National Health Service UK and World Health Organization. Dr. Feroze is on the roster of Consultants (Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety) for WHO (SEARO region) (2019-22)

N.B. this is a self-learning course and is not actively facilitated by a tutor. Please complete the feedback at the end of the course to help us improve it for others.

Engaging with this Course:
You may browse this course for free to learn for your personal enrichment. There are no requirements.
To obtain a certificate:
- Take the brief pre-test
- Complete all the reading requirements
- Complete all quizzes and pass with 70% with unlimited attempts
- Complete the self and course evaluation forms
Next Steps
- Take the short knowledge pre-test below. It allows us to assess various aspects of the course itself.
- Complete the registration form.
- Begin the course with Module 1: What is Patient Safety? There, read the description, complete all required readings and any required activity, and take the corresponding quizzes.
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Module 1: What is Patient Safety?
Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this Module, you should be able to:
- Define patient safety and its importance in healthcare.
- Define key terms used in patient safety.
1 Page, 1 Forum
- Resources Module 1: What is Patient Safety? Page
- Reflection: What is Patient Safety? Forum
  Has media (TV and newspapers) in your part of the world reported adverse patient safety events? For example, due to medical errors? Did the media coverage seek to apportion blame? How might taking a systems approach to patient safety help the relevant healthcare organization prevent safety incidents in the future?
- Quiz: What is Patient Safety?
  Restricted Not available unless:
  The activity Course Registration is marked complete
  The activity Pre-Test is marked complete
  The activity Reflection: What is Patient Safety? is marked complete
Module 2: Applying Human Factors to Patient Safety

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this Module, you should be able to:

• Explain the importance of human factors in patient safety and how to manage them.

• Describe situations and personal factors that increase the likelihood of errors.

• Elucidate ways to put knowledge of human factors to practice.

1 Page, 1 Forum
- Resources Module 2: Human Factors Page
- Reflection on Human Factors Forum
  Describe an adverse patient safety event caused by human factors in your setting.
  What can be done to reduce the risk of recurrence?
- Quiz: Human Factors
  Restricted Not available unless:
  The activity Quiz: What is Patient Safety? is marked complete
  The activity Reflection on Human Factors is marked complete
Module 3: Systems and Effect of Complexity on Patient Care
Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this Module, you should be able to:
- Describe the concept of the systems approach in patient safety.
- Elucidate Swiss cheese model and high-reliability organizations (HROs).
1 Page, 1 Forum
- Resources Module 3: Systems and Effect of Complexity on Patient Care Page
- Reflections on Systems and Complexity Forum
  Reflect on complex interactions and relationships that occur in healthcare in your setting and how the systems approach can help to improve patient safety.
- Quiz: Systems and Complexity
  Restricted Not available unless:
  The activity Quiz: Human Factors is marked complete
  The activity Reflections on Systems and Complexity is marked complete
Module 4 - Being an Effective Team Player
Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this Module, you should be able to:
- Understand the importance of teamwork in the complex and specialized environment of healthcare, challenged by comorbidities and chronic disease management.
- Delineate the characteristics and types of healthcare teams.
- Demonstrate how teamwork improves healthcare.
- Describe stages of team development.
- List challenges to effective teamwork and explains how to resolve these challenges.
1 Page, 1 Forum
- Resources Module 4: Being an Effective Team Player Page
- Reflection on Being an Effective Team Player Forum
  Describe a healthcare incident, in the setting you work, leading to an adverse event that could have been prevented by employing effective teamwork.
- Quiz: Being an Effective Team Player
  Restricted Not available unless:
  The activity Quiz: Systems and Complexity is marked complete
  The activity Reflection on Being an Effective Team Player is marked complete
Module 5: Learning From Error
Learning Outcomes:

After this Module, you should be able to:
- Explain what is an error and violation.
- Describe the two types of errors.
- List situations associated with high risk of error.
- Delineate individual factors that predispose healthcare providers to errors.
- Elucidate ways to learn from errors, namely incident reporting and root cause analysis.
1 Page, 1 Forum
- Resources Module 5: Learning From Error Page
- Reflection on Learning From Error Forum
  Using a healthcare error that occurred in your setting as an example, reflect on the individual factors that may have predisposed the healthcare professional(s) to commit this error.
- Quiz: Learning From Error
  Restricted Not available unless:
  The activity Quiz: Being an Effective Team Player is marked complete
  The activity Reflection on Learning From Error is marked complete
Module 6: Understanding and Managing Clinical Risk
Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this Module, you should be able to:
- Explain the relevance of clinical risk management in the context of patient safety.
- Delineate the concepts of incident monitoring, near misses, and sentinel events.
- Describe the role of complaints in improving care.
- Manage risk by enhancing personal accountability.
1 Page, 1 Forum
- Resources Module 6: Understanding and Managing Clinical Risk Page
- Reflection on Understanding and Managing Clinical Risk Forum
  Reflect on whether credentialing, accreditation and registration (licensure) has reduced clinical risk in the setting you work, thereby leading to improved patient safety.
- Quiz: Understanding and Managing Clinical Risk
  Restricted Not available unless: The activity Quiz: Learning From Error is marked complete
Module 7: Using Quality Improvement Methods and Tools to Improve Patient Safety
Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this Module, you should be able to:
- Explain basic principles of quality improvement including use of measures.
- Elaborate quality improvement methods namely, basics of Clinical Practice Improvement (CPI), Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and Root Cause Analysis (RCA).
- Describe tools that are commonly used in quality improvement efforts: flowcharts, cause and effect diagrams (also known as Ishikawa or fishbone diagrams), Pareto charts, and run charts.
1 Page, 1 Forum
- Resources Module 7: Using Quality Improvement Methods and Tools to Improve Patient Safety Page
- Reflection on Using Quality Improvement Methods and Tools to Improve Patient Safety Forum
  Reflect on a quality improvement method that you have applied in your setting which has lead, or might lead, to improved patient safety.
- Quiz: Using quality improvement methods and tools
  Restricted Not available unless:
  The activity Quiz: Understanding and Managing Clinical Risk is marked complete
  The activity Reflection on Using Quality Improvement Methods and Tools to Improve Patient Safety is marked complete
Module 8: Engaging with Patients and Carers
Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this Module, you should be able to:
- Explain what should be the constituents of communication between the provider and the patient.
- Introduce open disclosure, its principles, and barriers impeding communication after an adverse event.
- Delineate advanced communication techniques for open disclosure.
1 Page, 1 Forum
- Resources Module 8: Engaging with Patients and Carers Page
- Reflection: Engaging with Patients and Carers Forum
  Reflect on how open disclosure can be employed in the setting you work. Elucidate the barriers that you are likely to encounter.
- Quiz: Engaging with Patients and Carers
  Restricted Not available unless:
  The activity Quiz: Using quality improvement methods and tools is marked complete
  The activity Reflection: Engaging with Patients and Carers is marked complete
Module 9: Infection Prevention and Control
Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this Module, you should be able to:
- Define healthcare-associated infection (HCAI).
- Describe routes of transmission of healthcare-associated infection (HCAI).
- Discuss how to prevent healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) giving due emphasis to hand hygiene.
1 Page, 1 Forum
- Resources Module 9: Infection Prevention and Control Page
- Reflection: Infection Prevention and Control Forum
  Reflect on how you can prevent healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) in the setting you work.
- Quiz: Infection Prevention and Control
  Restricted Not available unless:
  The activity Quiz: Engaging with Patients and Carers is marked complete
  The activity Reflection: Infection Prevention and Control is marked complete
Module 10: Patient Safety and Invasive Procedures
Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this Module, you should be able to:
- Describe the causes of adverse events associated with surgical and other invasive procedures.
- Delineate verification processes for improving surgical care: guidelines, protocols, and checklists including the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist.
1 Page, 1 Forum
- Resources Module 10: Patient Safety and Invasive Procedures Page
- Refelection: Patient Safety and Invasive Procedures Forum
  Reflect on how protocols and checklists can or have already improved patient safety in the setting you work.
- Quiz: Patient Safety and Invasive Procedures
  Restricted Not available unless:
  The activity Quiz: Infection Prevention and Control is marked complete
  The activity Refelection: Patient Safety and Invasive Procedures is marked complete
Module 11: Improving Medication Safety
Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this Module, you should be able to:
- Describe the risks of medication use.
- Explain contributory factors for medication errors.
- Delineate ways to make medication use safer.
1 Page, 2 Forums
- Resources Module 11: Improving Medication Safety Page
- Reflection: Improving Medication Safety Forum
  Reflect on how you can improve medication safety in the setting you work.
- Discussion Forum: Mental Health and Patient Safety during Procedures.
  In this activity, you will reflect on the potential impacts of medical interventions on patient safety in the context of mental health disorders.
  Step 1: Choose one health condition and corresponding treatment procedure that can potentially lead to patients developing mental health problems.
  Step 2: Prepare a 200 - 300 word summary that includes:
  How this health condition and procedure can be a trigger for mental health issues.
  Identify other factors that may contribute to the development of mental health issues as a result of this condition and procedure.
  Provide recommendations to prevent the development of mental health issues.
  Step 3: To share your work, click on the “Reply” button under this post and paste your work in the “message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).
  Step 4: To complete the activity, you will need to reply to at least two posts made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Be sure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then, click on “post to forum.”
- Quiz: Improving Medication Safety
  Restricted Not available unless:
  The activity Quiz: Patient Safety and Invasive Procedures is marked complete
  The activity Reflection: Improving Medication Safety is marked complete
Patient Safety and Covid-19

Covid-19 has infected millions across the globe and caused thousands of deaths. It is prudent to be cognizant of measures required to work safely in the Covid-19 epidemic. We, as healthcare professionals, must adapt accordingly ensuring our healthcare facilities are Covid-19 ready.

1 Page
- Resources Patient Safety and Covid-19 Page
Course and Self Evaluation & Certificate

In this section, you can provide feedback about this course to help us make NextGenU.org better. Once evaluations are completed, you will be able to download your Certificate of Completion.

Further reading: A very comprehensive book Textbook of Patient Safety and Clinical Risk Management is freely available as open access. It goes beyond the basic principles outlined in the course you have just taken and is recommended for further reading.

Click here to give your feedback.
- Course Evaluation Questionnaire
  Restricted Not available unless: The activity Quiz: Improving Medication Safety is marked complete
- Self Evaluation Questionnaire
  Restricted Not available unless: The activity Course Evaluation is marked complete