Kuala Lumpur, 28 February 2019 – The Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Medical University (IMU) to collaborate in developing an interactive online training module on patient safety complete with self-assessment tools for junior healthcare professionals and medical students prior to their housemanship training. 
The MoU was signed on behalf of MOH by Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Director General of Health Malaysia and for IMU by Prof Abdul Aziz Baba, Vice-Chancellor and CEO of IMU. The ceremony was witnessed by Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Minister of Health Malaysia and Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Abu Bakar Suleiman, Chairman of IMU Group. Also present were Prof Peter Pook, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic of IMU, Dr Paa Mohamed Nazir Abdul Rahman, Senior Deputy Director, Medical Care Quality Section of MOH, Prof Nafeeza Hj Mohd Ismail, Dean, School of Medicine, IMU and representatives of MOH and IMU comprising of both staff and students. Patient safety is a priority in Malaysia with its main aim to prevent harm to patients during the process of healthcare. In fact, Malaysia is a role model in improving patient safety among Low-Middle Income Countries. MOH Malaysia has always taken great stride in enhancing patient safety which began with the establishment of a surveillance system to report Patient Safety Incidents twenty years ago. This was followed by the establishment of the Patient Safety Council Malaysia in 2003 chaired by the Director General of Health to discuss patient safety issues at the highest level; the implementation of Hand Hygiene and Safe Surgery Programmes nationwide; and the Malaysian Patient Safety Goals in 2013 to outline priority areas in patient safety and monitor its status in both public and private healthcare facilities. The ministry also works with non-government organisations to establish PATIENTS For Patient Safety Malaysia in 2013 and has started a mandatory Patient Safety Awareness Course for Junior Healthcare Professionals in 2017 to ensure all house officers have patient safety knowledge before ensuing their housemanship programme. This is essential to ensure the safe practice of all junior doctors and to prevent harm to patients.
IMU is the ideal partner in developing this Patient Safety Online Training module given its reputation as the pioneer of technology-enhanced learning in medical and health profession programmes in Malaysia. IMU started its technology-related initiatives twenty years ago where it was used to complement and augment both medical sciences and clinical learning. This is in line with IMU’s learning philosophy and the application of technology in healthcare programmes. Today, IMU leads the way with its knowledge and experience in developing technology-enhanced learning not just in Malaysia but also across the region, sharing its expertise with other educators and health professionals as well as continuously receiving requests for training and learning visits from both public and private educational sectors. “It won’t be the first time for IMU to work closely with the Ministry in developing similar technology-enhanced learning modules. We’ve developed an open distance learning (ODL) module for management of disease outbreak, soon to be piloted in Negeri Sembilan districts, that will provide opportunity for MOH staff to upgrade their skills even while at work or in the field, reducing the logistics and costs of travelling for face-to-face workshops as well as the time taken away from important patient or community-centred care,” says Prof Abdul Aziz Baba. IMU is also pursuing online courses, either as ODL or blended learning. Soon to be launched are ODL postgraduate courses on MSc in Public Health and MSc Molecular Medicine; and three blended learning courses, a combination of ODL and face-to-face teaching & learning on Master in Business Administration in Healthcare Management, Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration in Healthcare Management and Postgraduate Certificate in Business Administration in Healthcare Management.
“Having proven ourselves as the leaders in technology-enhanced learning specifically in the field of healthcare, it is an honour for us to collaborate with the Ministry on this new exciting project. As the leading private medical school in Malaysia, IMU is equally as committed to improve all aspects of patient safety. We even introduced patient safety in our medical undergraduate curriculum before the release of the World Health Organization’s Patient Safety Curriculum guide for medical schools in 2009, and since then, IMU has made many advancements in teaching and learning with regards to patient safety. Patient safety is one of the core competencies of our undergraduate medical course since 2015 and it is included in three of the five assessment domains”.
IMU will develop the online training module using content from MOH Malaysia’s Patient Safety Awareness Course for Junior Health Care Professional which consists of seven topics from the Basic Concept of Patient Safety to specific safety areas such as Safe Surgery and Hand Hygiene. By making it available online, it will facilitate the course’s availability to all junior healthcare professionals and medical students due for housemanship training who can now do it at their own time and pace. Ultimately, this collaboration supports the shared goal of both parties in nurturing competent and safe healthcare professionals in the nation. “This is a great initiative that brings teaching and learning of patient safety to greater heights. It is an excellent example of cost-effective public and private collaboration through the sharing of knowledge and technology to achieve a common goal – improving patient safety. I look forward to more future collaborative work between the two organisations,” says Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Minister of Health Malaysia. “Through our dedicated E-learning Resource Centre and platform, we are capable of hosting online materials that are made available, not just to our students but also with the potential to be expanded globally. That is the beauty of technology where knowledge can be shared across borders without restrictions. With the Fourth Industrial Revolution impacting how we practice healthcare, IMU will continue to make it a priority to engage technology in everything we do and offer for the benefit of the future healthcare professionals” says Prof Abdul Aziz Baba.
| About the Patient Safety Unit |
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 Patient Safety Unit, Medical Care Quality Section, Medical Development Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia was established in September 2011 to focus on Patient Safety as well as promoting and developing policies and programmes on Patient Safety. The Unit is also the Technical Secretariat of Patient Safety Council Malaysia which is chaired by the Director General of Health Malaysia. Patient Safety Unit acts upon the decision made by the Council and gives technical input to the Council. Patient Safety Unit has managed to introduce/enhance various national programmes on Patient Safety such as Malaysian Patient Safety Goals; PATIENTS For Patient Safety Malaysia; mandatory Patient Safety Course for Health Officers; Incident Reporting and Learning System 2.0; Root Cause Analysis and Action; Safe Surgery Saves Lives 2.0 and the most recent initiative which is Improving Patient Safety Using Lean Methodology. Patient Safety Unit is actively involved in promoting patient safety through its involvement in international and national conferences, conducting various seminars and training on Patient Safety. The Unit also provides technical input globally through the World Health Organization. For more information please visit Patient Safety website at http://www.patientsafety.moh.gov.my. |
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