International patient safety requirements - what should future doctors know about this issue? TMA hosted a panel discussion on this topic.

The meeting was chaired by Lela Sturua, an invited lecturer of TMA, a specialist in healthcare quality improvement and patient safety. She spoke about the international goals of patient safety and the challenges in this direction.

"Where the patient's safety is in doubt, the medical system does not exist and is not considered at all. This is how medical security assesses this issue today. This topic is very relevant around the world, and the fact that the initiation of discussion of this issue comes from our university is undoubtedly invaluable," she said. According to Lela Sturua, it is the academic institutions that should start discussing this very relevant issue. First of all, awareness should be raised about this topic and more specialists should be educated. It is important to provide them with information regarding medical safety, particularly patient safety. "Medical students should understand from the very first year that the first issue in the medical system today is the patient's safety. This topic should be discussed daily and this topic should certainly be raised and initiated by academic organizations. Therefore, it is very good that Tbilisi Medical Academy took this initiative," Lela Sturua noted.

TMA Assistant Professor, pediatrician Ia Khurtsilava, and TMA Associate Professor, allergist Lizi Feikrishvili also participated in the panel discussion. They discussed several clinical cases with the participation of the audience.

"Patient safety is the most important aspect in the medical field. I think that today's event and discussed cases made this problem more visible to the present audience," said TMA student Nanuka Katchiuri.

At the end of the event, a large-scale conference was planned, again hosted by the TMA, which will once more discuss patient safety issues. On September 17, the whole world celebrates Patient Safety Day, and this conference will be dedicated to this date, which will involve specialists and students who will be not only listeners but also speakers at the planned conference.

It is also important that a Professor from Suffolk University (Boston) who works in the field of patient safety and quality management will participate remotely in the conference, which will add additional value to this event.