Development and evaluation of a required patient safety course

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Patient safety is a critical component of healthcare.
• Effective training is essential for equipping future pharmacists with patient safety knowledge and skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop, implement, and assess a mandatory patient safety course for second-year doctor of pharmacy students.
• To evaluate the impact of the course on student understanding and application of patient safety principles.

Main Methods:

• Course development incorporating didactic lectures, case studies, activities, and readings.
• Assessment via written exams, essays, and a modified minute paper.
• Pre- and post-intervention student self-assessment surveys to gauge knowledge, skills, and commitment.

Main Results:

• The course teaching format was deemed useful and the material relevant to achieving learning outcomes.
• Student self-assessment surveys revealed significant improvements in knowledge, skills, and readiness for application.
• A notable increase in students' commitment to improving patient safety was observed.

Conclusions:

• The developed patient safety course successfully enhanced pharmacy students' understanding of patient safety principles.
• The course effectively improved students' perceived knowledge, skills, and commitment to patient safety.