A Human Factors and Systems-Thinking Approach to Veterinary Patient Safety Education: Why, What, and How?

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Education
• Patient Safety
• Human Factors Engineering

Background:

• Veterinary educators aim to prepare graduates for complex practice environments.
• Integrating patient safety concepts into crowded curricula is challenging.
• Human factors and systems thinking offer a framework for improving safety education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the benefits of incorporating human factors and systems thinking into veterinary patient safety education.
• To present a curriculum mapping process for embedding human factors principles.
• To address barriers to implementing a human factors-based patient safety curriculum.

Main Methods:

• Review of human factors and systems thinking principles in education.
• Development of a two-stage curriculum mapping process.
• Discussion of practical approaches to overcome implementation barriers.

Main Results:

• Human factors and systems thinking can inform both the content and delivery of patient safety education.
• A curriculum mapping process can help embed these principles for learners and faculty.
• Aligning learning theories with human factors promotes active and collaborative learning.

Conclusions:

• Integrating human factors and systems thinking enhances veterinary patient safety education.
• Addressing barriers like inconsistent terminology and faculty development is crucial.
• This approach better prepares graduates for veterinary workplaces, improving patient safety and well-being.