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

Evidence is limited internationally regarding medical students' perceptions and training needs in patient safety, following the WHO Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021-2030, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the subsequent acceleration in digitalization. To address this gap, this study explores undergraduate medical students' knowledge of patient safety, attitudes regarding safety culture, experiences with errors, and their perspectives on improving patient safety through training and digitalization.

A mixed-method design was employed, consisting of an online survey with open-ended questions administered at a medical school in Greece. All registered undergraduate students were invited to complete a pretested 46-item study tool, including demographics, the Greek version of the scale 'What is patient safety?' and their personal experiences, views on digitalization and educational needs.

A total of 638 students from all 6 years of study participated (58% female; 54.2% preclinical students). Findings revealed poor knowledge regarding error management (mean 2.4/5) and the reporting process (mean 1.8/5). Fear of blame culture was reported by 51.2%. Digitalization was expected to advance patient safety in multiple ways. Students advocated strengthening patient safety training (92.8%), emphasizing case-based learning, integrating patient safety principles into the teaching of all clinical courses and watching their professors acting as role models.

Medical students feel underprepared to manage patient safety issues and request more relevant knowledge and skills. These findings highlight the urgency for appropriate training reforms, tailored to the students' needs, aiming to optimally prepare them to become key players in improving patient safety in a digitally evolving healthcare system.