Patient Safety 'Through Undergraduate Medical Students' Eyes': A Mixed-Methods Survey

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient Safety
• Digital Health

Background:

• Limited international data exists on medical students' patient safety perceptions and training needs.
• The WHO Global Patient Safety Action Plan, COVID-19 pandemic, and digitalization highlight the need for updated training.
• This study addresses the gap by exploring student knowledge, attitudes, and experiences in patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess undergraduate medical students' knowledge of patient safety.
• To evaluate students' attitudes towards safety culture and experiences with medical errors.
• To understand student perspectives on improving patient safety through training and digitalization.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-method design using an online survey with open-ended questions was implemented in a Greek medical school.
• A pretested 46-item tool assessed demographics, patient safety knowledge, error experiences, and views on digitalization and education.
• All undergraduate students were invited to participate, with 638 completing the survey.

Main Results:

• Students demonstrated poor knowledge of error management (2.4/5) and reporting (1.8/5).
• A significant portion (51.2%) feared a blame culture.
• Students strongly advocated for improved patient safety training (92.8%), including case-based learning and role modeling, and recognized digitalization's potential.

Conclusions:

• Medical students feel inadequately prepared for patient safety challenges.
• There is an urgent need for training reforms tailored to student needs.
• Optimizing training is crucial for preparing future healthcare professionals to enhance patient safety in a digital era.