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WHO Patient Safety Curriculum Guide for Medical Schools

WHO Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data WHO patient safety curriculum guide for medical schools. 1.Patient care - education. 2.Schools, Medical - organization and administration. 3.Curriculum - trends. 4.Clinical competence. 5.Health personnel - education. 6.Safety management. 7.Practice guideline. I.World Health Organization.II.World Alliance for Patient Safety. ISBN 978 92 4 159831 6 © World Health Organization 2009 All rights reserved. Publications of the World Health Organization can be obtained from WHO Press, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland (tel.: +41 22 791 3264; fax: +41 22 791 4857; e-mail: bookorders@who.int). Requests for permission to reproduce or translate WHO publications– whether for sale or for noncommercial distribution – should be addressed to WHO Press, at the above address (fax: +41 22 791 4806; e-mail: permissions@who.int). The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory,city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Dotted lines on maps represent approximate border lines for which there may not yet be full agreement. The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers’ products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization in preference to others of a similarnature that are not mentioned. Errors and omissions excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by initial capital letters. All reasonable precautions have been taken by the World Health Organization to verify the information contained in this publication. However, the published material is being distributed without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. Theresponsibility for the interpretation and use of the material lies with the reader. In no event shall the World Health Organization be liable for damages arising from its use. Designed by 22 Design Printed in France (NLM classification: WX 167)

Medical Curriculum Foreword
Medicine has changed greatly over the last century. Our knowledge of the physiology, biochemistry and genetics of human life hasimproved, as has our understanding of the diseases that affect health. As the technical ability to treat disease has grown, the complexity of medical practice has increased significantly. The same drugs and surgeries that can save lives have the potential to cause harm. Modern health care is delivered in teams, not by individuals. Modern clinicians rely on the support of intricate health-care systemsto enable them to carry out their task. Errors can occur at each stage in any of these processes. There is a constant threat of accidental harm, which cannot easily be removed. High risk organisations, such as the airline industry, meticulously apply layers of protection to their routine work to reduce risk to acceptable levels. Systems are built so that human error – which is to some extentinevitable – does not cause catastrophe. Flying has now become very safe. In recent years, a science of patient safety has developed. Harm to patients is not inevitable and can be avoided. To achieve this, clinicians and institutions must learn from past errors, and learn how to prevent future errors. We need to adapt our ways of working to make safe health care a robust and achievable goal.Traditionally, curricula for doctors and medical students have focused on pure clinical skills: diagnosis of illness, treatment of disease, after-care and follow-up. However, team working, quality improvement and risk management have been overlooked. These skills are fundamental to patient safety. It is therefore fitting that the WHO Patient Safety has developed this curriculum which will enable and...