Enhancing Patient Safety Awareness Among Medical Students: A Pilot Study.

Abstract

Background and objectives: The practice of medicine involves the risk of causing harm, even under the best circumstances and despite having optimal training. Therefore, patient safety is not only an essential part of healthcare but is also crucial for the training of resilient future doctors. The awareness of medical students regarding patient safety issues is of utmost importance for their professional formation. The objective of the present study was to gain insights into the awareness of medical students at the Autonomous University of Guadalajara about patient safety problems and the expectations of how patient safety is being managed in the health system.

Methods: A descriptive and longitudinal study was carried out in which eighth-semester medical students were invited to participate. The questionnaire was adapted from the World Health Organization Medical School Curricular Guide for Patient Safety questionnaire and applied before and after the course "Seminar on Quality and Safety in Medical Care." In total, 419 students answered the questionnaire.

Results: The data showed a significant increase in the scores on the questionnaire after the course (P < .05).

Conclusion: Students showed satisfactory awareness and positive expectations with regard to reporting and learning from errors and helping others when medical errors occur, which has implications for health care quality. Application of the WHO questionnaire in other settings and countries may contribute to a better comprehension of awareness and expectations of future health professionals in the world.