Research
The Centre for Patient Safety aims to establish a multi-disciplinary research capacity, under which initial studies to scientifically assess the issues of patient safety and quality of care in low-middle income countries (LMIC) will be conducted which are expected to include:
A systematic review of the burden of preventable harm in LMIC healthcare settings
A patient and family-directed survey to estimate the burden of healthcare-acquired harm
The Centre also plans to develop a contextually relevant mixed-methods assessment approach for estimating preventable harm at AKUH. The assessment approach will be validated and then utilized to assess the burden at a local and international level.
Academics
Medical errors in the healthcare environment are common and continue to be a global public health threat. Such a dilemma gives rise to the need of educating clinicians on how to improve patient safety without compromising on the quality of care.
With that in mind, the Centre for Patient Safety at Aga Khan University Medical College for the first time in Pakistan has introduced a course for 3rd Year MBBS students with name “Quality and Patient Safety” that aims to prevent and reduce risks, medical errors, and healthcare-associated complications.
The 5-day Programme is focused to enrich the students with the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver safer care while also providing a deep understanding of the causes of medical errors and their prevention.
Delivered by our highly skilled faculty at AKU and the world’s renowned Johns Hopkins University, the course is divided into didactic lectures and in-person simulations. The first half of the session covers key topics regarding patient safety whereas the second half of the session involves case studies and group discussions that enable the students to share knowledge and analyze their skills, which then leads to better decision-making in complex situations.
With this course, the students will also develop a systematic view of quality and patient safety and they will learn strategies to reduce barriers in error reporting, effective disclosure as well as teamwork enhancement. The course also employs pre and post-tests which allows the students to assess their knowledge before and after taking the course.
This course is rated as an eye-opening experience by our students which led to a substantial increase in their analytical knowledge.
To date, the Centre has organised 4 workshops for MBBS medical students while 3 have been arranged for nurses at SONAM.
The Centre has also received "The Collaborative Teaching Award" in recognition of its effort at introducing an innovative and significant course that will help medical students improve safety, quality, efficiency, and satisfaction for patients at every level.
Advocacy
The Centre aims to advocate and promote a patient safety culture and make quality and patient safety a national priority in Pakistan by engaging with local, provincial, national, and international policy makers and agencies such as the World Health Organization.
To achieve this goal:
- CPS has developed a collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean to provide technical support on quality and patient safety in Pakistan.
- CPS is working with the Healthcare Quality Council of Pakistan to develop a national strategy for quality and patient safety in Pakistan.
- CPS was invited to the WHO Policy Makers Forum on Patient Safety Implementation and helped represent Pakistan at the expert consultation to revise the WHO Patient Safety Curriculum Guide.
