Organisational and personal strategies for patient safety

Question 1

What are some tips for practising safely as junior doctors?

Answer 1

Try to develop your internal alarm bells
Seek help when feeling overwhelmed
Use clinical guidelines where available
Always document your thought processes, actions, and plans
Checking results and all recorded information
Speak up if an error is suspected

Question 2

Which model can you use to assess risky situations?

Answer 2

3 buckets model (looking at problems for each part)

• Self
• Context
• Task

Question 3

Which model best describes a gradual increasing likelihood of error propogation?

Answer 3

Swiss Cheese Model

Question 4

What are some strategies to minimise risk to patients?

Answer 4

System design
Patient safety alerts
Simplification and standardisation of clinical processes
Checklists and aide memoires
Information technology
Tools to improve uptake of evidence based treatment
Supporting better team working

Question 5

What are some personal strategies for mental preparedness?

Answer 5

3 buckets model

Mental preparedness: foresight

Question 6

Which of the following patient safety strategies for minimising risk best describes the approach of providing healthcare staff with some basic mental skills to help them recognise and, if possible, avoid situations with a high error potential?

Three bucket model
Simulation training
Care bundle
Safety huddle

Answer 6

Three bucket model

Question 7

Which of the following patient safety strategies for minimising risk best describes the approach of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS)?

Standardisation
System design
Standardisation
Patient safety alert

Answer 7

Standardisation