Perspectives of Iranian Allied Health Students on Patient Safety Education and Their Comfort in Raising Safety Concerns

Abstract

Objectives: Globally, medical errors affect one in ten patients. Patient safety (PS) outcomes can be improved through education by encouraging students to address, discuss, and advocate for safety. This study assessed the perceptions of allied health students at Kashan University of Medical Sciences regarding the adequacy of their education in addressing, discussing, and speaking up about PS in 2023. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 using two domains of the Health Professional Education Patient Safety Survey (H-PEPSS). A census sampling method was employed, encompassing 310 students from the nursing, anesthesia, and operating room technology programs. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26, utilizing descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and analytical tests (independent t-test and Mann-Whitney U test). Results: Participants comprised 57.7 females and 42.3 males. The distribution across majors was as follows: nursing (65.8), anesthesia (17.7), and operating room technology (16.5). The mean (SD) scores were 0.68 (0.13) for patient safety education (PSE) and 0.58 (0.10) for comfort in discussing and speaking up about PS; both fall within the moderate range (0.5 < M < 0.75). No statistically significant differences were observed across disciplines regarding PSE (P > 0.05) or comfort in speaking up (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The current state of patient safety education and students' comfort in raising safety concerns remains suboptimal. It is recommended that these findings be systematically integrated into the medical education curriculum, with an intensified focus on fostering a culture that prioritizes proactive error reporting and the empowerment of students to speak up about patient safety.