Teaching patient safety during undergraduate medical studies

Background In the professional public there is agreement that healthcare professionals worldwide should already be prepared for safety in patient care during their education. Objective How can the topic of patient safety be successfully integrated into the curricula of healthcare professions? Material and methods Overview of the Marburg curriculum on patient safety during the practical year as well as of other approaches to teaching patient safety described in the literature. Results In recent years teaching initiatives on patient safety have significantly increased; however, they are still not comprehensively distributed in German-speaking countries or throughout Europe. In the context of implementation, the multiprofessional edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) patient safety curriculum guide may be used as guideline. A current, very promising development in connection with acquiring and examining the competences that are necessary for safe patient care is the establishment of interprofessional training wards. Conclusion In the meantime, there are clearly defined strategies for the integration of the topic of patient safety into the curricula of healthcare professionals. On the way towards a successful restructuring of the curricula including the necessary competences and behavioral changes of the students, however, relevant support by the management of faculties and teaching hospitals is essential.