Preventing Medical Errors: The Role of Physical Therapists and Assistants

Course overview

Medical errors are costly and often preventable. Physical therapy practitioners play a key role in identifying and preventing errors, which can improve outcomes for patients, healthcare organizations, and communities. After taking this course, physical therapists and assistants (PTs/PTAs) will understand the different types of medical errors and their impacts. Learners will be able to identify common risk factors and root causes, prevention strategies, and guidelines for reporting errors when they occur. Case examples will demonstrate best practices in several different settings where physical therapy is provided. Future goals for safety across the medical industry are discussed. The goal of this course is to provide physical therapy professionals with information required to recognize, prevent, and respond to medical errors.