Home Care Research Articles

Community-based elderly home care services policy and household consumption enhancement: Evidence from China

The influence of elderly consumption is increasing, and community-based elderly home care service (CEHCS), as an important social security system, will have a significant impact on household consumption levels and consumption structure. This paper utilizes data from five batches of CEHCS pilot policies implemented in China from 2016 to 2020, combined with data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) from 2011 to 2020, to design a dynamic difference-in-differences model to systematically evaluate the dynamic effects and mechanisms of CEHCS on elderly household non-durable goods consumption. The study found that after the coverage of CEHCS, the consumption levels of non-durable goods such as clothing, daily necessities, and cultural and entertainment products in middle-aged and elderly households significantly increased year by year, while consumption of durable goods significantly decreased. Moreover, the impact of CEHCS was more pronounced in households with lower housing assets and rural households. Mechanism analysis suggests that CEHCS promote the increase in non-durable goods consumption by alleviating children's labor constraints, reducing the family's caregiving burden, and diminishing precautionary savings. This paper provides further empirical evidence on the pathways through which elderly care services influence household consumption behavior, which holds significant implications for proactively addressing population aging and unlocking household consumption potential through micro-institutional design.

Motivations of family advisors in engaging in research to improve a palliative approach to care for persons living with dementia: an interpretive descriptive study

BackgroundA Strategic Guiding Council (SGC) was created within a Family Carer Decisions Support study, to engage family carers of persons with advanced dementia as advisors to inform the design and implementation of the study. The SGC consists of an international group of family advisors from Canada, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic. There are limited studies that have explored the integration of Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in dementia research, end-of-life care and long-term care. Therefore, this study explores PPI engagement in health research with family carers to understand further their interest in being involved in the SCG within the FCDS intervention which is focused on supporting caregivers to make decisions about end-of-life care for residents with advanced dementia.MethodsThis study utilized an interpretive descriptive design and explored the motivations of ten family advisors from Canada, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands in being part of the SGC. Semi-structured interviews were conducted by phone or videoconferencing and were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsThree themes generated from the findings of the study were (1) engaging in reciprocal learning; (2) using lived experience to support other family carers; and (3) creating a collective momentum for advocacy and change.ConclusionsFamily carers motivations to being part of the SCG was driven by their intent to help carers navigate the health system and to create a psychosocial support system for other carers experiencing end-of-life with their loved ones. Being part of the SCG provided a benefit to family carers which provided a venue for them to contribute meaningful information from their experience, learn from other health professionals, research and other advisors and an avenue for advocacy work to improve access to end-of-life care supports through education. To our knowledge, this is the first study that explores the motivations of an international group of family advisors’ engagement in health research to promote integration of a palliative approach to dementia care in long-term care homes. This study further contributes to the literature from an international perspective the importance of PPI in research. Further research is warranted that explores PPI in research to improve access to end-of-life supports.

Introducing a New Paradigm in Occupational Therapy for Mental Health in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is making strides in supporting mental health needs by incorporating occupational therapy into rehabilitation care. Despite challenges like social stigma and limited resources, a shift toward a socio-humanistic approach is underway. Occupational therapy practitioners have set up a mental health day treatment service to help individuals transition from hospitals to the community, focusing on daily living skills and meaningful activities. Integrating mental health day treatment service with government psychiatric hospitals and improving rehabilitation and home care follow-up can significantly enhance support for people with mental health needs in low-resource settings.

Home-based care and center-based care: From being alternatives to being synergistic. Optimization models to support flexible care delivery

The delivery of health care services, especially for patients with chronic conditions and/or requiring cyclical treatment, can be accomplished by resorting to two organizational models: center-based care and home-based care. In developed countries, government pressure to reduce healthcare spending and the COVID-19 pandemic have led to the spread of home-based care. This type of care is proven to outperform the center-based one in terms of cost-effectiveness, patient satisfaction, and adherence to treatment guidelines. However, even for treatments usually suitable to be delivered at home, the patient's health status or other constraints may make it inappropriate to deliver service at the patient's home. This calls for a new organizational model, referred to as flexible care, where home-based and center-based care are not seen as mutually exclusive models but as options that can be activated according to the patient's and provider's needs. This paper presents a novel network-based deterministic optimization model and two matheuristics to address a scheduling problem typically faced by providers adopting a flexible care model. The model considers a provider relying on a treatment room with a fixed number of medical chairs, a fleet of vehicles, and a team of operators. It allows for determining on which days of the planning horizon, in which setting (home or center), and by which operator each patient will be treated. The model takes into account patients’ preferences and considers two objective functions: minimizing provider costs and patients’ travel time. In addition, we propose a two-stage mixed-integer stochastic programming model with recourse actions. This model allows incorporating the uncertainty due to the occurrence of adverse events. Adverse events are sudden changes in the patient's condition randomly happening at a specific point in the planning horizon. These events render the patient unsuitable for home care and require them to be visited at the center from that moment onward. The models have been inspired by a real case and tested on multiple random instances.

Digital music and movement intervention to improve health and wellbeing in older adults in care homes: a pilot mixed methods study

BackgroundLow physical activity among older adults is related to adverse health outcomes such as depression and loneliness, poor physical function and increased risk of falls. This study was designed to increase physical activity through a digital, group-based, physical activity and music intervention and to examine its effectiveness on social, mental and physical health outcomes.MethodsParticipants were 34 older adults (65 years +) recruited across four care homes in Scotland to a pilot study. Surveys were administered at baseline and post-intervention, comprising measures of fear of falling, depression and anxiety, loneliness, sleep satisfaction and quality of life. A battery of physical function tests and saliva sampling for cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone hormone analysis were also conducted at each time point. Additionally, process evaluation measures (recruitment, intervention fidelity, attendance, retention rates and safety) were monitored. The intervention comprised 12 weeks of three prescribed digital sessions per week: movement and music (n = 2) and music-only (n = 1), delivered by an activity coordinator in the care home. Post-intervention interviews with staff and participants were conducted to gain qualitative data on the acceptability of the intervention.ResultsAn average of 88% of prescribed sessions were delivered. Pre- to post-intervention intention-to-treat analysis across all participants revealed significant improvements in anxiety, salivary DHEA, fear of falling and loneliness. There were no significant improvements in health-related quality of life, perceived stress, sleep satisfaction or physical function tests, including handgrip strength. Qualitative analysis highlighted benefits of and barriers to the programme.ConclusionsThe digital movement and music intervention was deemed acceptable and delivered with moderate fidelity, justifying progression to a full-scale trial. Although a proper control group would have yielded more confident causal relationships, preliminary psychosocial and biological effects were evident from this trial. To show significant improvements in physical function, it is likely that a bigger sample size providing sufficient power to detect significant changes, greater adherence, longer intervention and/or higher exercise volume may be necessary.Trial registrationThe trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT05601102 on 01/11/2022.

Race- and Ethnicity-Related Disparities in Predialysis Nephrology Care, Kidney Disease Education, and Home Dialysis Utilization.

Pre-dialysis nephrology care and kidney replacement therapy (KRT)-directed education (KDE) are essential for incident home dialysis use. However, there are substantial disparities in these care parameters among patients with advanced CKD. The impact of these disparities on home dialysis underuse has not been examined. We analyzed the 2021 US Renal Database System to identify all adult kidney failure patients with over six months of pre-dialysis Medicare coverage initiating their first-ever dialysis between 2010 and 2019. We used a mediation analysis to dissect the attributable influence of disparities in pre-dialysis nephrology care and KDE on incident home dialysis use. Additionally, we conducted sensitivity analyses using graded levels of mediators and sustained impact on home dialysis outcomes. We identified 464,310 Medicare recipients: 428,301 using incenter hemodialysis and 35,416 using home dialysis as their first-ever dialysis modality during the study period. Compared to non-Hispanic White patients (n=294,914), adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence intervals) for receiving pre-dialysis nephrology care, KDE service, and incident home dialysis were 0.62(0.61, 0.64), 0.58(0.52, 0.63) and 0.76(0.73, 0.79) respectively among Hispanic individuals (n=49,734), and 0.74(0.73, 0.76), 0.84(0.79, 0.89), and 0.63(95%CI:0.61, 0.65) respectively among Black individuals (n=98,992). Mediation analyses showed that compared to non-Hispanic White individuals, lack of nephrology care explained 30% and 14% of incident home dialysis underuse among Hispanic and Black individuals, respectively (p<0.001). Sensitivity analyses using a longer duration of nephrology care and KDE services and the sustained impact on home dialysis underuse through the first-year post-kidney failure showed congruent and consolidating findings. Disparities in pre-dialysis nephrology care were significantly associated with lower home dialysis among Hispanic and Black individuals.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Home Medical Care Utilization in Japan: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected healthcare utilization worldwide, but changes in home medical care utilization have not been fully revealed. This study aims to clarify the changes in the use of home medical care services in Japan due to the pandemic. Interrupted time series analysis of national medical claims data. Individuals with home medical care use occurring in Japan between April 2019 and March 2022. The declaration of a state of emergency (April 2020) by the Japanese government. The outcomes were the monthly uses of regular home visits, emergency house calls, terminal care, and in-home deaths. Terminal care was stratified by care setting (home or nursing home) and the type of home medical care facilities (enhanced home care support clinics and hospitals (HCSCs), conventional HCSCs, and general clinics and hospitals). Regular home visits showed no significant change, but emergency house calls exhibited an upward trend (1258 uses/month, 95% CI 43to2473). Both terminal care and in-home deaths experienced an immediate increase in level (1116 uses/month, 95% CI 549to1683; 1459 uses/month, 95% CI 612to2307), followed by a gradual increase in trend (141 uses/month, 95% CI 73to209; 215 uses/month, 95% CI 114to317). The immediate increase of terminal care occurred only for home patients. Enhanced HCSCs showed the most prominent increase in both level and trend, followed by conventional HCSCs, and general clinics and hospitals. The COVID-19 pandemic increased the use of emergency house calls and terminal care among home medical care in Japan, particularly for home patients and enhanced HCSCs. These findings suggest that the pandemic revitalized the importance of home medical care as a patient-centered care delivery model and highlight the need for strategic healthcare planning and home medical care resource allocation to anticipate future pandemics.

Experiences of patients with advanced chronic diseases and their associates with a structured palliative care nurse visit followed by an interprofessional case conference in primary care – a deductive-inductive content analysis based on qualitative interviews (KOPAL-Study)

BackgroundChronic, non-malignant diseases (CNMD) like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure (CHF) and dementia in advanced stages are very burdensome for patients. Timely palliative care with strong collaboration between general practitioners (GPs) and specialist palliative home care (SPHC) teams can reduce symptom burden, hospitalization rates, hospitalization costs and overall healthcare costs. The KOPAL-study on strengthening interprofessional collaboration for patients with palliative care needs tested the effect of an intervention comprising of a SPHC nurse assessment and an interprofessional case conference. This qualitative evaluative study explores patients’, proxies’ and their associates’ motivation to participate in the KOPAL-study and views on the (benefits of the) intervention.MethodsWe interviewed 13 male and 10 female patients as well as 14 proxies of patients with dementia and six associates of study participants using a semi-structured interview guide. All interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed with deductive-inductive qualitative content analysis.ResultsMotivation for participation was driven by curiosity, the aim to please the GP or to support research, respectively to help other patients. Few interviewees pointed out to have expected positive effects for themselves. The nurse visit was evaluated very positively. Positive changes concerning health care or quality of life were reported sparsely. Most study participants did not prepare for the SPHC nurse assessment. They had no expectations concerning potential benefits of such an assessment, the interdisciplinary case conference and an early integration of palliative care. The majority of interviewees reported that they did not talk about the nurse visit and the interprofessional case conference with their GPs.ConclusionOur results lead to the conclusion that SPHC nurses can serve as an advocate for the patient and thereby support the patients’ autonomy. GPs should actively discuss the results of the interdisciplinary case conference with patients and collaboratively decide on further actions. Patient participation in the interdisciplinary case conference could be another way to increase the effects of the intervention by empowering patients to not just passively receive the intervention.Trial registrationDRKS00017795 German Clinical Trials Register, 17Nov2021, version 05.

Characteristics of people diagnosed with dementia vs lung cancer and cardiovascular disease at commencement of community palliative care: a population–based study

BackgroundMost people diagnosed with dementia live and die in community settings. This study aimed to: (i) describe the palliative care needs of patients with dementia at commencement of community palliative care; (ii) compare palliative care needs between patients with dementia and those with lung cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD).MethodsThis is a population-based descriptive study that involved 8,727, 7,539 and 25,279 patients who accessed community palliative care across Australia principally because of dementia, CVD and lung cancer. Patients’ functional abilities, symptom burden and clinical condition were assessed at commencement of community alliative care using five validated instruments: Resource Utilisation Groups—Activities of Daily Living, Australia-modified Karnofsky Performance Status, Symptoms Assessment Scale, Palliative Care Problem Severity Score and Palliative Care Phase. We fitted ordinal logistic regression models to examine the differences in these assessments for dementia versus CVD and lung cancer, respectively.ResultsOverall, patients with dementia generally had low levels of distress from symptoms but poor functional problems. Compared to the other two diagnostic groups, palliative care for dementia was often initiated later and with shorter contacts. Also, patients with dementia presented with poorer functional performance (adjusted OR (aOR) = 4.02, Confidence Interval (CI): 3.68 – 4.38 for dementia vs CVD; aOR = 17.59, CI: 15.92 – 19.44 for dementia vs lung cancer) and dependency (aOR = 5.68, CI: 5.28 – 6.12 for dementia vs CVD; aOR = 24.97, CI: 22.77 – 27.39 for dementia vs lung cancer), but experienced lower levels of distress and problem severity for the majority of symptoms.ConclusionCommunity palliative care is often an ideal care option for many patients, particularly for those with dementia. We call for expansion of the palliative care workforce and options for home care support to optimize accessibility of community palliative care for dementia.

Can formal home and community-based care substitute informal care? Evidence from Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey

BackgroundFormal home and community-based care are often considered as the preferable option to institutional care, offering older individuals the convenience of receiving care in their homes. Although research has found that these services may alleviate the burden on informal caregivers, there is a lack of research on which specific types of formal home and community-based care influence informal care provision.MethodsEmploying fixed-effects and quantile regression models, this study seeks to explore the effects that various formal home and community-based care services have on reducing the burden of informal care. This study draws data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2018.ResultsOur findings indicate that two types of formal care substantially influence the provision of informal care. The availability of daily living assistance services correlates with reduced informal caregiving hours, especially for those with extensive care needs. The availability of community-based health care services is linked to a reduction in the direct expenses incurred from informal caregiving, especially for those incurring greater direct caregiving costs. These effects are more prominent among urban residents. Other services, such as mental health support and legal advice services, do not demonstrate significant effects on reducing informal care hours and costs.ConclusionsDaily living assistance and community-based health care services play a crucial role in benefiting informal caregivers. It is important to prioritize the expansion of these services, especially among those with greater care needs.

Cationic Gemini surfactants: a review on synthesis and their applications

Abstract The molecules of Gemini surfactants are dimeric and consist of two monomeric surfactant units linked by a spacer. Among them, cationic Gemini surfactants have a wide range of application in various industrial sectors such as pharmaceuticals, home and personal care, corrosion inhibition, etc. Various methods of synthesis have been investigated and tested for the synthesis of cationic Gemini surfactants. The surface properties of Gemini surfactants are highly dependent on various factors like spacer, headgroups, counterions, etc. The cationic Gemini surfactants have lower CMC values as compared to their monomeric analogues. This review highlights the different methods for the synthesis of cationic Gemini surfactants and the applications of these surfactants in different fields are presented.

Essential Package of Palliative Care for Iranian Children with Cancer

Background: Despite medical advancements and treatment development, children with cancer experience a wide range of symptoms related to the disease and treatment side effects. Providing palliative care is essential to improve the quality of life for both the child and the family. Given limited available resources, cost-effective service packages can address this need. Objectives: This study aimed to develop an essential palliative care package for children with cancer in Iran. Methods: The study was under Health System Research and employed an exploratory mixed method design in three phases. The initial stage involved two sub-studies including a review of literature and a qualitative study. In the subsequent phases, the package draft was compiled and validated using the Delphi technique with input from 12 experts. Results: The essential palliative care package for children with cancer comprised two main components: INPUT, including dimensions related to medicine, human resources, equipment, and service delivery setting. INTERVENTION, encompasses physical, psychological, social, spiritual symptom management, and growth and development. Conclusions: Customized for Iran's social and cultural context, this essential service package provides safe, efficient, convenient, and affordable care. Physicians and nurses with primary training can integrate it into primary care including home care, emphasizing the importance of palliative care.

Spirituality and ageing: how to support older people in nursing or residential care homes

In this article, Chris Barber discusses how care home staff can help residents to keep practicing their faith or spiritual beliefs.

Customer Awareness of Medical Wearable Health Care Technology and Policy Management in India

Patient and healthcare providers can take preventive actions based on a review of vital signs obtained remotely with wearable medical devices thanks to Internet of Things-based wearable sensors and an integrated cloud platform. Provide essential home care that is as clean and well-manicured as the intensive care unit (ICU), complete with remote vital sign monitoring. In India, there is no governing agency for healthcare. Healthcare professionals are concerned about the dependability of medical devices in the absence of sufficient laws, which makes them prefer to employ conventional medical devices. Based on related dangers, medical gadgets are to be divided into four types. Converging, analysing, and applying massive data collected by wearable medical devices for use in illness diagnosis, mitigation, and preventive therapy is a challenge to the medical business. By exchanging real-time data, the use of wearable medical devices would not only aid to strengthen patient-physician relationships but also decrease the need for human interventions. To uncover consumer awareness difficulties in the adoption of these devices, this paper explores the possibilities of the Internet of Things in the medical wearable business.

"It's What Would Work for Her": An Analysis of Adaptations to the Individualized Positive Psychosocial Interaction Program in U.S. Nursing Homes.

The Individualized Positive Psychosocial Interaction (IPPI) program is an adaptable, evidence-based intervention. IPPI trains nursing home care partners to engage residents living with moderate to severe dementia in preference-based, one-to-one interactions using emotion-focused communication. We sought to understand provider-driven adaptations made to the IPPI program and whether the adaptations made were fidelity-consistent. Data were collected from n = 78 interviews with n = 23 nursing home provider champions who led a quality improvement project to implement the IPPI programwith 3-5 residents per care community. Using content analysis, we report quantitative data on the adaptation characteristics according to the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications-Expanded core modules and participant quotes to illustrate adaptations. Champions reported 34 adaptations, with an average of 2.6 adaptations per nursing home. The majority of IPPI adaptations pertained to implementation (65%; n = 22), whereas 17% (n = 6) were content and 17% (n = 6) were context. Some adaptations were motivated by the organization (e.g., time constraints), while others were motivated by the recipient (e.g., cognitive capacity). Most adaptations made to the IPPI protocol by care partners were fidelity-consistent (92%; n = 33). Care partners' adaptations to the IPPI made the intervention more resident-centric. Future healthcare intervention providers must consider the user perspective and encourage adaptations that further tailor to the user, as long as the adaptations are fidelity-consistent.

Tax-free benefits for staff: what nursing and residential care home managers can provide

In this article, Helen Thornley and Adam Bernstein discuss how managers of nursing or residential care homes can provide tax-free benefits for their staff.

The Principles of Home Care for Patients with Stroke: An Integrative Review.

Patients With Stroke (PWS), like patients with other chronic health conditions, need long-term care in home settings. Patient transfer from hospital to home is associated with challenges such as care quality impairment and ineffective patient need fulfillment. The aim of this study was to assess the principles of Home Care (HC) for PWS. This integrative review was conducted in 2023 using the method recommended by Whittemore and Knafl. The Web of Science, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PubMed, and specific databases for stroke care guidelines were searched to find relevant articles published between 2010 and 2023. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was used for document screening and selection. The data were analyzed using the constant comparison method. Primarily, 2608 documents were retrieved, and 22 of them were included in data analysis. The principles of HC for PWS were categorized into six main categories: principles of transition from hospital care to HC, principles of assessment for HC, principles of education for HC, principles of designing an HC plan, principles of HC measures, and principles of discharge from HC centers. The present study provides a detailed overview of the principles of HC for PWS, which can be used to develop standard guidelines and improve the quality of HC for PWS.

Burden of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infection Among Adults in Nursing and Care Homes: A Systematic Review.

Older adults in nursing and care homes (NCHs) are vulnerable to severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, hospitalization, and death. This study aimed to gather data on RSV disease among older adults in NCHs and identify reported risk factors for RSV hospitalization and case fatality. The study protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022371908). We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Global Health databases to identify articles published between 2000 and 2023. Observational and experimental studies conducted among older adults in NCHs requiring assistive care and reporting RSV illness were included and relevant data were extracted. Of 18,690 studies screened, 32 were selected for full-text review, and 20 were included. Overall, the number of NCH residents ranged from 42 to 1459 with a mean age between 67.6 and 85 years. Attack rates ranged from 6.7% to 47.6% and annual incidence ranged from 0.5% to 14%. Case fatality rates ranged from 7.7% to 23.1%. We found similar annual incidence rates of RSV-positive acute respiratory infection (ARI) of 4582 (95% CI: 3259-6264) and 4785 (95% CI: 2258-10,141) per 100,000 reported in two studies. Annual incidence rate of RSV-positive lower respiratory tract infection was 3040 (95% CI: 1986-4454) cases per 100,000 adults. Annual RSV-ARI hospital admission rates were between 600 (95% CI: 190-10,000) and 1104 (95% CI: 350-1930) per 100,000 person-years. Among all RSV disease cases, commonly reported chronic medical conditions included chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart failure, ischemic heart disease, coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes, kidney dysfunction, cerebrovascular accident, malignancies, dementia, and those with a Charlson comorbidity score > 6.5. Data on RSV infection among NCH residents are limited and largely heterogeneous but document a high risk of illness, frequent hospitalization, and high mortality. Preventive interventions, such as vaccination, should be considered for this high-risk population. Nationally representative epidemiologic studies and NCH-based viral pathogen surveillance could more precisely assess the burden on NCH residents.

Efforts to Improve Postpartum Maternal Behavior through Family-Centered Maternity Care (FCMC) about Postpartum Care Education

The role of parents is inseparable from the participation or cooperation between the mother and the family (husband) and other family members. An obstacle that is still found in the care of postpartum mothers is the assumption that postpartum mothers are sick mothers, their mobilization is inhibited, the type of food is restricted, the provision of colostrum breast milk is inhibited so that the needs of postpartum mothers are prioritized for full rest. The involvement of extended families in the care of babies has so far been misinterpreted, where the care of babies is left to other family members. After efforts to improve the behavior of postpartum mothers through Family Centered Maternity Care (FCMC) education, it is hoped that postpartum mothers can carry out postpartum care by involving the family. Implementation method with demonstration and discussion. The media used are baby phantoms, postpartum care booklets, LCDs, Laptops, and Projectors. The implementation of health education is carried out by visiting the home of postpartum mothers. The result of community service is that 90% of postpartum mothers can do postpartum care with family involvement. As well as from the results of monitoring and evaluation by way of meeting again by conducting home visits (home care) to postpartum mothers using instruments related to postpartum care. Based on the implementation of community service, it can be concluded that there is an increase in the behavior of postpartum mothers in postpartum care.

Determination of Medical Faculty Clinical Students' Attitudes Towards Patient Safety: A Mixed Design Study

BackgroundThe study was planned to determine the attitudes of medical faculty students in clinics toward patient safety. MethodsIt is a mixed-design study using quantitative and qualitative methods. The “student information form” and the “Attitudes toward Patient Safety Culture Questionnaire (APSQ)” created using “Google Forms” were e-mailed to clinical students of the medical faculty. Quantitative data were collected from 125 students. Then, semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with six students from each class. The data were obtained through video and audio recordings of the 45-minute interviews through the Zoom program. ResultsAccording to the results, 86% of the 125 students did not receive any training on patient safety. The total score of the students on the APSQ was 94.87 ± 14.32. Six main themes and twenty sub-themes emerged from the qualitative data. The main themes are students' awareness of patient safety, students' misconceptions about “patient safety,” students' knowledge about the scope of patient safety, students' experiences with medical errors, deficiencies in educational processes on patient safety, and suggestions for educational approaches to patient safety. ConclusionsAfter completing undergraduate medical education, physicians typically assume roles as general practitioners in various healthcare settings, such as hospital’s emergency departments, home care, or community health centers. The lack of awareness among medical students about patient safety is a significant concern that needs to be addressed. As stakeholders in their education, students recognize the importance of being well-prepared to provide safe and effective patient care in their future roles as physicians.