Practical Patient Safety Education for Medical Students at the Yokohama City University School of Medicine / 医学教育

In autumn 2005, a 15-hour patient-safety education program was incorporated into the core curriculum for fourth-year medical students at the Yokohama City University School of Medicine. Sixty students took part in the program. The goals of the curriculum are for students to understand the prevalence and origins of medical errors and to increase awareness of the physician's responsibility for patient safety. Because typical learning methods, such as didactic lectures, might not be effective, we developed an experimental or case-based learning method. Educational modalities included small-group discussion of medical errors, role-playing of medical error disclosure, and experience operating infusion pumps. In addition, to bridge the gap between educational systems and hospital systems, we collaborated with other healthcare workers, such as nurses and hospital pharmacists. Students evaluated the program favorably; most recommended continuing the curriculum for future medical student classes.

A Survey on Residents' Awareness of Patient Safety at the End of the First Year of Residency / 医学教育

A survey was performed to examine residents' awareness of patient safety. Sixty-two residents who had just finished their first year of residency participated in the study. Of the 62 residents, 30 were training at Yokohama City University Hospital and 32 were training at other hospitals. Although all residents knew about the serious medical mishap ( “surgical mix-up” ) that had occurred at Yokohama City University Hospital in 1999, only 53% knew about the judicial verdict in this case. The residents most often believed that the mishap was the fault of the hospital and its system (82%), followed by nurses (73%), supervising doctors (62%), and residents (45%). Seventy percent of the residents knew about the “Incident Reporting System, ” but only 20% had written an incident report. Incidents experienced or observed by residents were most often medication-related. No significant differences in the results of the survey were found between residents of Yokohama City University Hospital and those of other hospitals. In conclusion, although residents recognize the importance of patient safety at the end of the first year of their residency program, they still cannot deal properly with incidents.

Patient-Safety Curriculum for Medical Students in the United States / 医学教育

Since the publication of To <I>Err is Human</I> in 1999, medical schools around the worldhave been discussing ways to teach medical students about patient safety. To deepen the understanding of patient-safety curriculums used in the United States, Dr. Matthew Weinger, director of the San Diego Center for Patient Safety and a professor at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine (UCSD), was invited to participate in around-table discussion on “Patient Safety Curriculum for Medical Students” held at Yokohama City University. Althoughthere have been active discussions in journals and within medical school faculties, no discernable consensus has emerged in the United States, other than that patient safety should become part of the educational system. The patient-safety curriculum used at UCSD and the curriculums promoted by the Department of Veterans' Affairs National Center for Patient Safety are introduced.