A Team Disclosure of Error Educational Activity: Objective Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Simulation

Background:

• Medical errors frequently involve multiple team members, necessitating effective disclosure strategies.
• Existing curricula for medical error disclosure, particularly those incorporating interprofessional simulation, are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and assess the effectiveness of a multimodal educational activity for team-based disclosure of medical errors.
• To provide objective evidence for the value of interprofessional simulation in teaching medical error disclosure.

Main Methods:

• A methodological triangulation research design was employed with 458 students from three institutions.
• Participants engaged in simulated discussions, planning, and disclosure of a medical error within their teams.
• Knowledge change was assessed, and team performance during simulation with standardized family members (SFMs) was rated using a rubric.

Main Results:

• Students demonstrated significant knowledge gains, particularly in the approach and timing of apologies during disclosure (P < .001).
• Team error disclosure behavior received high ratings from both SFMs and individual students (rho = 0.54; P < .001).
• Over 80% of participants found the activity valuable and reported increased comfort in disclosing medical errors.

Conclusions:

• The interprofessional simulation activity was effective in teaching students the principles and practice of team-based medical error disclosure.
• This educational approach enhances both knowledge and practical skills for handling sensitive error disclosure scenarios.
• The findings support the integration of simulation-based interprofessional education for improving patient safety communication.