Evaluation of the Competence of Medical Students in Identifying Risks to the Safety of the Patient through Simulation

ABSTRACT Introduction Patient safety (PS) is among the main topics discussed by healthcare professionals worldwide. In Brazil, more than 302,000 deaths from preventable adverse events were reported in 2016, and 70% had preventable causes that cost more than 10.9 billion reais. Objective To evaluate the knowledge, skills and attitudes, through simulation of students of the medical course of the 4th and 8th semesters regarding the subject of patient safety. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted. The data was collected through two instruments, one to ascertain the sociodemographic profile and the other to be completed during the simulation. The simulation took place in a laboratory room prepared to reproduce a hospital scenario. The researchers planned six risks to be identified in the scenario with a duration of 7 minutes. All data were analyzed by EPI-INFO 7.1. The research was approved by an ethics committee. Results A total of 42 students participated in the study, 24 and 18 of the 4th and 8th periods, respectively. No student has identified all six risks. Overall, students performed poorly, identifying on average two to three risks to patient safety. The risk of administration of wrong medication was perceived by 34 (81%); lack of identification by 15 (36%); risk of falling by 11 (26%); problems with hand hygiene by 6 (14%); risk of wrong surgical procedures by 3 (7%) and risk of pressure ulcers was not identified by any student. Three additional risks not planned by the researchers were identified by the students, especially two risks identified by 8th-period students. Conclusion Students displayed little ability to identify patient safety risks. However, they demonstrated better performance throughout the course, revealing how important it is to work on patient safety in the early years of undergraduate training.