Effectiveness of an In-Service Education Program to Improve Patient Safety Directed at Surgical Residents: A...

Patient safety is a critical issue in healthcare services particularly in surgical units and operation rooms because of the high prevalence and risk of medical errors in such settings. This study was conducted to determine whether a 1-day educational intervention can change the attitude and behavior of surgical residents regarding patient safety.

A total of 90 surgical residents were recruited from 6 university hospitals located in Tehran and Qazvin, Iran, and were randomized to either the intervention or a control group. Those in the intervention group participated in a 1-day workshop on patient safety, whereas the control group received no intervention. Both groups were followed for 3 months after the intervention was completed. The Safety Attitude Questionnaire and Oxford Non-Technical Skills scale were administered at 3 points in time (baseline, 1 month after the intervention, and 3 month later). The data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance.

Total score on the Safety Attitude Questionnaire improved from 54.5 (SD = 14.4) at baseline to 58.3 (SD = 13.8) 3 months after the intervention in the intervention group; all dimensions, with the exception of working condition, showed significant changes. In addition, the Oxford Non-Technical Skills scale - as assessed by attending surgeons - improved significantly in all domains (p < 0.05). More than 60% of participants in the intervention group scored in the positive range for items assessing safety and teamwork climate.

A 1-day interactive educational workshop may be effective in changing the attitude and practice of surgical residents regarding patient safety. Further assessment of this intervention in other healthcare settings involving health professionals from various specialties and use of an objective measure such as number of reported medical errors are needed to corroborate these findings.