Popular patient safety course returns for a second engagement
Course teaches how to develop and implement organizational patient safety programs
Wednesday July 16, 2008 -- Jason Thompson
Following a successful run in 2007, the Canadian Patient Safety Officer Course is returning to Toronto this fall.

Headed by the Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI), the course teaches healthcare professionals from across the country how to develop and implement patient safety programs within their respective organizations.

The course is comprised of interactive workshops, case studies, team-building activities, networking, media skills training and coaching by patient safety leaders. Topics included patient safety management systems, high-risk clinical processes, and learning to recognize system-induced near misses.

Janice McVeety, project manager with CPSI, says the course is designed for professionals who have patient safety, quality improvement and/or risk management as part of their portfolio.

Because of the success of last year’s course, the material for 2008 hasn’t changed much. Last year’s course was over-subscribed with more than 100 people applying for one of 45 available spaces.

“There seems to be quite a demand for it so I would expect that even with the people who weren’t able to attend last year, we could probably (run the course) for a couple of years,” McVeety says.

Susan Brien, CPSI’s former director of operations for Quebec, Eastern Canada and Nunavut, says the interest generated by the course indicates healthcare organizations are looking for means to accelerate the training of safety experts within their systems.

“There is a need for those who carry the patient safety portfolio within hospital organizations to have an opportunity to gain a lot of knowledge and skills and develop a network very quickly so they can get off the mark quickly in regards to developing safety programs in healthcare organizations in Canada,” Brien told HIROC at the conclusion of the 2007 course.

The course is also expected to attract a people with a mix of experiences who will be able to learn from one another.

“The people who are coming to take part in the course are as much a part of contributing to the course as they are learning from it. What they’ll be able to bring to it is their individual stories and experiences,” McVeety says.

A pair of guest speakers will address participants although only Brian Sexton, a professor with John Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, has been confirmed.

The deadline for registration is August 7 and spaces are limited. Click here for more information.

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