Which non-technical skills do junior doctors require to prescribe safely? A systematic review

Source:  British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology

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Date of publication:  November 2015

Publication type:  Systematic review

In a nutshell:  The aim of this review was to develop a prototype non-technical skills (NTS) taxonomy for safe prescribing, by junior doctors, in hospital settings.  As a result of this research, a prototype taxonomy of relevant categories (situational awareness, decision making, communication and team working, and task management) and elements was constructed.  This prototype will form the basis of future work to create a tool that can be used for training and assessment of medical students and junior doctors to reduce prescribing error in the future.

Length of publication:  12 pages

Impact of a structured template and staff training on compliance and quality of clinical handover

Source:  International Journal of Surgery, vol/iss 10/9 pp.571-574

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Date of publication:  October 2012

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell:  In this article, researchers assessed whether the quality of clinical handover in hospital could be improved for junior doctors by using a standardised and structured handover template. A computerised template was developed in accordance with handover guidelines by the Royal College of Surgeons of England. The template helped to promote quality of care, improve compliance to agreed standards and protect patient safety.

Length of Publication:  4 pages

Some important notes:  Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Acknowledgements:  The Heath Foundation

Exploring error in team-based acute care scenarios: an observational study from the United Kingdom

Source:  Academic Medicine

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Date of publication:  June 2012

Publication type:  Article

In a nutshell:  This article follows 38 junior doctors, in their first year after medical qualification, in NHS Lothian.  It looks at the errors made by these doctors and investigates whether there was a single cause. The article reasons that identifying a single cause for each error could identify which knowledge and skills which are most vulnerable to specific errors and enable specially tailored educational strategies to be developed to try to prevent them.

Acknowledgements:  Kings Fund

Some important notes:  Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Updated guide places junior doctors at centre of strong safety culture

Source:  National Patient Safety Association 

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Date of publication: July 2010 

Publication type:  Guidance

In a nutshell:  This document focuses on the importance of training junior doctors to deal with medical errors,  including dealing with complaints, communicating with patients and staff, reporting and documentation.

Length of publication:  Webpage