Medical Student Awareness and Knowledge of Patient Safety at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University

Dr. Zahra R Gaw; Dr. Amal M Alshehab; Dr. Rasha H Alsheikh

Volume : VIII, Issue : XI, November - 2019

Medical Student Awareness and Knowledge of Patient Safety at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University

Dr. Zahra R Gaw, Dr. Amal M Alshehab, Dr. Rasha H Alsheikh

Abstract :

Patient safety is a fundamental principle in providing quality healthcare. Most studies focus on patient safety education among senior and postgraduate students but limited data are available at the undergraduate level. This study identifies awareness, knowledge, and perceptions of medical students at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University in Saudi Arabia toward patient safety. A cross–sectional study examining patient safety among 246 fifth– and sixth–year medical students was conducted. Fifth–year students reported more confidence in addressing oader patient safety issues in health education, while sixth–year students reported more comfort in speaking up about patient safety. �Culture of safety� and �communicating effectively� were the only two dimensions that differed significantly by gender (p<0.05). Findings indicated that there is a gap in student knowledge regarding many safety concepts that should be filled. Future research is needed to identify areas where development is required in the undergraduate medical curricula among Saudi Universities.