Exploring patient participation in reducing health-care-related safety risks

Exploring patient participation in reducing health-care-related safety risks
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evaluation conducted by the Health Systems Observatory (dated September 2003),
concrete information about the development of the strategic plan was not available (63).
The current national professional accreditation agency is the Agency for Evaluation and
Accreditation of Higher Education, created by means of Decree-Law No. 369/2007
of 5 November 2007 (64). Several nursing and medical schools have submitted their
curricula for accreditation from this agency, the evaluation and accreditation policies of
which are set out in Law No. 38/2007 of 16 August (65).
Medical education
The systemic nature of patient safety and the importance of communication, cooperation
and organizational learning are considered key to medical doctors’ education on patient
safety (66). A report launched in 2010 under the auspices of EUNetPaS provided
teaching programmes for medical and nursing schools and continuing professional
development across the EU. Good practice examples in medical curricula were presented
by the Comité Permanent des Medecins [Standing Committee of European Doctors],
according to whom the issue of patient safety is still rarely to be found as a mandatory
module in medical school programmes within EU Member States (66). Several internal
and external evaluations have been carried out in Portuguese medical schools by
national and international com missions and efforts have been made to update curricula
in relation to science content and health care professionals’ attitudes within their
relationships with patients and their families, other professionals and wider society (62).
Nursing education
The European Federation of Nurses Associations presented in their strategic plan for
nursing education 2008–2012 the current state of play from the nursing perspective,
based on examples provided by 32 nursing leaders of allied associations such as the
European Federation of Nurse Educators. The strategic plan – developed by the
Portuguese Nursing Association – stated that a more qualified workforce would increase
consumer safety and the quality of care (67). Patient safety is a fundamental aspect of
the nursing curriculum and is likely to feature in the strategic plan’s implementation in
an integrated way.
Deontological codes and professional organizations
Portuguese professional associations recognize the importance of knowledge-based
clinical practice as a fundamental means of promoting health care quality and safety,
with patient safety being part of the responsibility of the professionals they represent
(68). Ethical codes should serve as guidance to the different aspects of human relations
that HCWs establish in their professional activity (69).
The Portuguese Medical Association’s ethical code (70) assigns the patient a key role
in the health care process and articles in the Medical Association Rule No. 14/2009
provide specific guidance on surgical safety (69). Article 44 notes patients’ rights to
detailed information from the physician on diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of
their disease, taking into account patient emotional status and ability to comprehend.
Article 45 provides details on patients’ informed consent following substantive medical
advice and reflection, and Article 26 affords the Association the opportunity to perform