Patient Safety Competencies Curriculum Development

Domain 3: Communicate Effectively for Patient Safety

Key and enabling competencies:

Note: Items highlighted in blue are specific to patient safety communications; others may be taught elsewhere in the paediatric curriculum.

1. Health care professionals who demonstrate effective verbal and non-verbal communication abilities to prevent adverse events:

1.1. Show respect and empathy in communication

1.2. Explain investigations, treatments and protocols clearly and adequately to patients

1.3. Convey information with clarity appropriate to each patient (e.g., by using the Calgary-Cambridge model)

1.4. Convey information in structured communications to team members to promote understanding

1.5. Communicate in a manner that is sensitive to health literacy needs

1.6. Employ active listening techniques to understand the needs of others

1.7. Communicate in a manner that is respectful of cultural diversity

1.8. Respect privacy and confi dentiality

1.9. Use a variety of communication tools and techniques to enhance and assess understanding on the part of patients and their families

2. Health care professionals who communicate effectively in special high-risk situations to ensure the safety of patients:

2.1. Engage patients or substitute decision-makers in a discussion of risks and benefi ts of investigations and treatments to obtain informed consent

2.2. Provide informed discharge so that patients know when and where to seek care

2.3. Communicate to others the urgency of a clinical situation

2.4. Employ communication techniques to escalate concerns across authority gradients to match the seriousness of the clinical situation

2.5. Employ appropriate communication approaches in high-risk situations, such as in clinical crises, emotional or distressing situations, and confl ict

2.6. Use appropriate communication approaches to provide safe transfers, transitions of care and consultations among providers, including between institutions, and on discharge to community care

2.7. Demonstrate insight into their own communication styles with patients and team members in ordinary, crisis and stressful situations and adjust these styles appropriately to provide safe care

3. Health care professionals who use effective written communications for patient safety:

3.1. Provide appropriately detailed and clear written or electronic entries to the patient health record

3.2. Provide suffi cient documentation to facilitate team members’ comprehension of the patient’s history, physical findings, diagnosis and rationale for the diagnosis, treatment and care plan at any time

3.3. Provide patient care orders and prescriptions using safe practices to avoid misinterpretation

3.4. Write patient care orders and prescriptions to convey the appropriate degree of urgency

3.5. Use appropriate, safe written communication approaches in consultation requests and responses, investigative, operative and other reports, and other correspondence

3.6. Identify and promote well-designed patient education material

3.7. Recognize the safety implications of using abbreviations

3.8. Document the rationale for significant deviations from established processes or guidelines

4. Health care professionals who apply communication technologies appropriately and effectively to provide safe patient care:

4.1. Understand the benefi ts, limitations and professional care responsibilities of using technologies, such as the Electronic Health Record, the Electronic Medical Record, Computerized Professional Order Entry, the telephone, the fax machine, email and other such technologies

4.2. Employ critical thinking tools and structured approaches to communications (e.g., Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation [SBAR] and read-back of orders on the telephone) when using technology

Learning objectives:

Knowledge

Understand:

1. Models of eff ective team communication\
2. Models of eff ective patient-centred communication (e.g., the Calgary-Cambridge model)

Skills

1. Use appropriate communication techniques for high-risk situations
2. Communicate with other providers to facilitate smooth transfer of care
3. Use eff ective team communication techniques
4. Effectively communicate delegated tasks and provide appropriate supervision
5. Provide effective consultations, requests, reports and documentation
6. Use communication tools and technologies
7. Provide proper disclosure and reporting of adverse events

Attitudes/Behaviours

Content:

Teaching methodologies:

1.     Session 1-2 hours:

• Case on communication - attached
• Discuss handover issues, specific communication strategies e.g. SBAR.
• Practise how to speak up on a potential prolem.
  

Evaluation:

Learner
Program/session/module

Supporting materials/videos etc:

Calgary - Cambridge Model - PowerPoint
Calgary Cambridge Model - Handouts
SBAR Video - IHI - available free of charge - you must register with IHI
How not to do a Surgical Checklist - YouTube video
How to Perform a Surgical Checklist - YouTube video
Low Man on the Totem Pole - Case Study - IHI Open School

Domain 3 Attachments

Domain2Case.pdf
SBAR - Tool.pdf
Surgical Safety Checklist Measure CPSI.pdf
Phenobarb Case
Phenobarb Case Facilitator Guide