THE IMPORTANCE OF PATIENT SAFETY TRAINING ON THE APPROACH TO MEDICAL ERROR: A RESEARCH ON HEALTH STUDENTS

Abstract

A large number of patients who apply to health institutions for health care are exposed to medical error and medical errors cause serious harm to the patient. In order to prevent medical errors and ensure patient safety, a positive approach should be adopted that is non-accusatory, takes lessons from mistakes, and takes the necessary precautions. Adoption of a positive approach can be achieved through education. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the medical error approaches of students who have received and do not receive patient safety education. The research was carried out on a total of 496 students attending anesthesia, physiotherapy, emergency and first aid, medical laboratory and elderly care programs. As a data collection tool, a questionnaire formed by using "Medical Error Attitude Scale" was used. In the study, it was found that the students who received the patient safety training (280) had higher scores on the score to perceptions of medical errors and approach to the medical error than students who did not receive the patient safety training (216) from the score to perceptions of medical errors and approach to the medical error. This difference was found statistically significant (p<0.001). Accordingly, it can be said that patient safety training is an important tool in providing a positive medical error approach. The students who will be working as health professionals in various health care institutions know how to approach the medical error and providing awareness about patient safety before they start to working can provide important benefits in reducing medical errors. It is suggested that patient safety education should be given not only to students but also to health personnel through in-service training.