Safety investigation in healthcare (MHV205)
One of the most fundamental aspects of safety in healthcare is to learn from adverse events to improve future healthcare services. Every year a large number of patients across the world are harmed by adverse events due to for example late diagnosis, wrong diagnosis, wrong treatment, technical failure, medication errors and infections. In order to learn from these events, safety investigation is key. Investigating and learning from serious adverse events is a complex process that confronts many challenges. This course is about safety investigations in healthcare and how these can be understood and approached. The aim of the course is to give students the knowledge, skills, and analytical capacity to understand important conditions for achieving high quality safety investigations in healthcare.
Course description for study year 2025-2026
Course code
MHV205
Version
1
Credits (ECTS)
10
Semester tution start
Autumn
Number of semesters
1
Exam semester
Autumn
Language of instruction
English
Content
The course content is based on recent research into accident and safety investigations in healthcare, but examples from other industries and sectors will be applied when relevant. The course covers the following main topics:
- Accident models and theoretical foundation for safety investigations
- Complexity of healthcare systems, technology and people
- Methods of safety investigations
- Patient and stakeholder involvement in safety investigations
- Just culture, safety investigation and organizational learning
- Simulation in safety investigations
Learning outcome
Upon completion of this course, the students are expected to have the following knowledge, skills, and general competence:
Knowledge:
- Has advanced knowledge about the foundation for different types of safety investigations
- Has advanced knowledge about existing accident models and theories explaining causality
- Has advanced knowledge about principles, practices and processes of safety investigations
- Has advanced knowledge about safety investigation methods in healthcare and other industries
- Has advanced knowledge about how different stakeholders’ (e.g. patients, next of kin, healthcare professionals, managers, regulators) perspectives and experiences can be incorporated into safety investigations
- Has advanced knowledge about strengths and limitations in safety investigations
Skills:
- Can apply accident theories and investigation methods in health care
- Can evaluate scientific publications in safety investigation
General competence:
- Can critically analyze different theoretical, methodological and practical approaches to safety investigations in healthcare services.
Required prerequisite knowledge
Exam
| Form of assessment | Weight | Duration | Marks | Aid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester assignment | 1/1 | Letter grades |
- Semester assignment (3000 words +/- 10%)
Coursework requirements
Compulsory attendance at two out of three full-day seminars. All students are expected to participate in group work at the seminars. In the event that a student is prevented from attending more than one seminar, an alternative condition for sitting the exam will be a submission of a reflection note. (Max. 500 words). It is the student's own responsibility to keep track of their attendance and make sure appropriate arrangements are made if this is needed.
Course teacher(s)
Course coordinator:
Sina Furnes ØyriCourse coordinator:
Siv Hilde BergStudy Program Director:
Kristin AkerjordetMethod of work
Lectures, group work, case studies and self-studies. Lectures is based on student-active collaborative learning methods, where both individual and team effort is required.
Open for
Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree can apply for admission to the course
