‘A ground-breaking change in post
graduate medical training begins this year. As part of the
Modernising Medical Careers programme, a new curriculum for junior
doctors is being introduced. Patient safety will be at the heart of
this curriculum’. Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief
Medical Officer (National Patient Safety Agency, 2005)
Modern health care is a complex and high risk activity,
and patient safety is now a major concern in the delivery
of health care services across the globe. In the UK, a
document titled 'An Organisation With a
Memory' (2000) by the Department of Health has highlighted the
importance of understanding adverse incidents in the NHS.
The aim of this module is to provide a review of clinical
errors and medical negligence, including processes that increase
the likelihood of negligence claims against clinicians.
This module covers:
- basic definitions of clinical error and adverse incident
- epidemiology of clinical errors
- types of error with specific emphasis on medication errors
- widespread effects of error
- the aetiology of error with associated risk factors
- common adverse events in psychiatry
- factors that influence negligence claims
- the link between clinical errors and negligence claims.
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