Health care providers are legally required to tell patients when safety incidents happen. This is called disclosure, and we coordinate with the Health Authorities to support the delivery of disclosure courses which can teach you how to disclose unexpected clinical outcomes, including those resulting from errors in care, with honesty, empathy and respect.

In BC, we’re responsible for:

  • Convening the Scientific Planning Committee
  • Tracking the eligibility and accreditation status of all trainers and master trainers
  • Tracking and reporting on all offerings of the courses
  • Distributing and collecting evaluations for all offerings of the courses
  • Updating and distributing materials to trainers and master trainers
  • Maintaining accreditation with The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and The College of Family Physicians of Canada

Looking for a Course? Want to Become a Trainer?

Each health authority coordinates local course offerings. Please contact your local representative to learn more:

OrganizationEmail
First Nations Health AuthoritySuzanna Ho
Fraser HealthRob Graham
Interior HealthInterior Patient Safety
Island HealthIsland Quality & Patient Safety
Northern HealthMichelle Ralphs
Providence Health CareCamille Ciarniello
Provincial Health Services AuthorityNorna Waters
Vancouver Coastal HealthLiz Baron

If your organization is not listed, contact us for assistance.


Course Descriptions

Communicating Unexpected Outcomes for Clinicians

This course is designed to improve transparency with patients and families after unexpected clinical outcomes, including those resulting from errors in care. The program will enhance the communication skills of individual providers, health care teams and organizations for disclosing clinical errors with honesty, empathy and respect. Participants will also learn to improve their support of other team members in these often-difficult circumstances.

Topics Covered:

  • The importance of timely and compassionate disclosure
  • Individual, team and organization accountability and support
  • Patient-centred disclosure

This course has been accredited by UBC Continuing Professional Development for up to 4 hours of MOC Section 3 credits and up to 4 Mainpro+ Group Learning credits.

Trainers and Master Trainers

All disclosure trainers are responsible for submitting participant lists to HQBC for their CUO sessions. Here’s how the process looks:

TIMELINE

RESPONSIBLE

ACTION

4 weeks before the session (if applicable)

Health Authority

Notify the HQBC Learning Team about an upcoming session ONLY if the session involves a new trainer/facilitator

1 week before the course (or earlier)

Health Authority

Communicate with participants about registration and distribute materials (all trainers should have access through the learning hub)

On the day(s) of the course

Health Authority

Take attendance at the session(s) and deliver the CUO course content.

1-2 days following the course

Health Authority

Send the completed participant tracker to HQBC learning team

~2 weeks after receiving the participant tracker

HQBC

Issue the certificates of completion and the evaluation link to the Health Authority contact.

Course Materials, Training Videos & Contact List

We provide access for trainers to course materials, training videos and a provincial contact list via the HQBC Learning Portal. The Learning Portal is a restricted space that requires a login and password. If you are a trainer having difficulties accessing the Learning Portal please contact us for assistance.

Course materials are updated periodically, please be sure you are using the most current version of the materials prior to course delivery. Materials posted in the Learning Portal include the ‘last updated’ date in their titles for your reference.

Accreditation of New Trainers

Participants who have attended both the Clinician course and the Train-the-Trainer course are eligible to become Trainers to deliver the Communicating Unexpected Outcomes Clinician course.

The accreditation process for new Trainers is as follows:

  • Candidate attends Clinician course and the Train-the-Trainer course.
  • Candidate notifies HQBC when they will be hosting their first session (a minimum of 4-weeks in advance).
  • Candidate delivers one CUO Clinician course observed by a Master Trainer (two 2-hour virtual sessions OR one 4-hour in-person session).
  • Master Trainer completes the Trainer Evaluation form and determines if the candidate is accredited or remains in-progress. Trainer Evaluation form and outcome is submitted by email within 7 business days of the final session.

Once accredited by the Master Trainer, the Trainer can deliver the Clinician course.

If the candidate is accredited in-person then they only facilitate in-person. If the candidate is accredited virtually they can facilitate both in-person and virtually.

This program was co-developed between HQBC and Saegis Safety Institute and was planned to achieve scientific integrity, objectivity and balance.