A Human Factors and Systems-Thinking Approach to Veterinary Patient Safety Education: Why, What, and How?

This article focuses on integrating human factors and ergonomics (HF/E) principles and systems thinking into veterinary patient safety education to better prepare graduates for complex veterinary workplaces. It advocates a two-stage curriculum mapping process combining the World Health Organization’s Patient Safety Curriculum Guide with the Systems Thinking for Everyday Work (STEW) model to embed HF/E concepts both in content and delivery. Teaching methods such as experiential learning, interprofessional education (IPE), and workplace-based learning are recommended to promote collaborative, context-sensitive learning aligned with patient safety goals. The article also highlights challenges including inconsistent terminology, faculty development needs, and assessment difficulties, proposing strategies like tiered faculty training and programmatic assessment to address these. Ultimately, adopting a systems-thinking approach aims to enhance graduates’ capabilities to manage safety within complex veterinary systems, improving patient outcomes and workplace well-being.