Incorporating the Certified Professional in Patient Safety credential into undergraduate medical curriculum: assessment and lessons learned

Abstract

Context: Medical error is cited as a leading cause of preventable harm and death. Medical education in the United States must be restructured to enhance the development of skills, behaviors, and attitudes that medical students will need upon graduation, including the crucial ability to manage clinical and scientific information, understanding the basic concepts of human dynamics, patient safety, systems theory, and the development of basic management, communication, and teamwork skills. To accomplish this goal, it will be necessary for medical schools to balance their current, intensive focus on basic and clinical services with patient safety science. Although many examples exist of incorporating patient safety awareness into medical school courses, there are no recognized and accepted models related to incorporating mandatory patient safety education into medical school curricula that provide comprehensive measures of competence. This study evaluates the quantitative and qualitative outcomes of an intensive, mandatory patient safety course implemented during the third year of undergraduate medical education.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine if the implementation of an advanced mandatory 2-week patient safety course, leading to the attainment of the Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS™) credential, can yield a measurable impact on medical students' patient safety knowledge entering into residency.

Methods: Data were gathered from 12 cohorts of students in each of two consecutive third-year classes. Utilizing mixed-methods analyses, this study followed a total of 430 students to measure the change in their knowledge and perceptions before and after taking the course. The study also assessed what factors were associated with first-time passing of the CPPS™ Certification Examination. These factors included grade point average (GPA), positive perceptions about the course, and class year.

Results: There was significant improvement in the knowledge scores of all five patient safety domains. Similarly, there was a significant improvement in the perceived importance of receiving patient safety education in undergraduate medical education, attaining certification, and the value for students when applying for residency positions. Students' GPA was the only reliable predictor of passing the CPPS™ Certification Examination. Themes from qualitative data analysis reveal student perceptions of the course and certification to be extremely important to understanding the magnitude of the preventable harm problem and highlighting tools to address patient safety issues in the future. Most students reported that the course was essential to preparing for the comprehensive CPPS™ Certification Examination.

Conclusions: Patient safety science subject matter can be successfully integrated into a formal course for third-year medical students, creating competent patient safety-focused providers and change agents of the future. Incorporating CPPS™ Certification into the curriculum provides a tangible, quantitative academic achievement while equipping students with critical knowledge to systematically improve healthcare quality and safety.

Keywords: United States; certification; curriculum; medical education; patient safety; undergraduate medical education.