Creating a common patient safety denominator: the interns' course

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Quality

Background:

• Medical interns often lack preparedness for independent patient care challenges.
• There is a need for structured orientation to patient safety and error prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an innovative curriculum for interns focusing on patient safety competencies.
• To address critical areas including calling for help, teamwork, communication, hand hygiene, and error prevention.

Main Methods:

• A multi-component curriculum including lectures, workshops, and web-based didactics.
• Simulation sessions assessed interns' hand hygiene and patient hand-off skills.
• Individual and group exercises evaluated performance in patient examination and team management.

Main Results:

• Significant deficiencies were observed in hand hygiene compliance (35% before, 95% after examination).
• Team performance scores in hand-offs and patient management were suboptimal.
• Interns reported the course as beneficial, enhancing teamwork and patient safety appreciation.

Conclusions:

• Gaps in hand hygiene and communication during hand-offs pose risks to patient care quality.
• The developed curriculum is a positive step towards fostering a culture of patient safety among interns.