Patient Safety Analysis

Overview

This engaging 3-minute activity is designed for 12th grade students to apply scientific inquiry and critical thinking skills while assessing patient safety. Students will analyze a brief patient chart, conduct a simulated interview, and identify safety concerns. The lesson aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), emphasizing crosscutting concepts, science practices, and disciplinary core ideas related to health and human systems.

---

Objectives

By the end of this activity, students will be able to:

• Analyze patient data from a chart to identify health status and risk factors (HS-LS1-3).
• Use questioning to gather relevant information via a patient interview (Science Practice: Engaging in Argument from Evidence).
• Evaluate safety concerns and propose appropriate interventions (Crosscutting Concept: Systems and System Models).

---

NGSS Alignment

HS-LS1-3: Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.
Science and Engineering Practice: Engaging in Argument from Evidence – Using evidence to support or challenge claims about patient safety.
Crosscutting Concept: Systems and System Models – Understanding the patient as a system with interacting subsystems affecting overall safety.

---

Materials

• Printed or digital patient charts (one-page summary including vitals, medications, allergies, recent symptoms)
• Interview prompt cards (simple patient scripts for role-play)
• Safety checklists
• Timer or stopwatch

---

Lesson Procedure

1. Introduction (30 seconds)

Briefly explain to students that they will take on the role of healthcare professionals assessing a patient’s safety by analyzing medical data and gathering additional information through an interview. Stress the importance of observation, communication, and scientific reasoning in this process.

2. Patient Chart Review (45 seconds)

Distribute a patient chart to each student or pair. Instruct students to quickly scan and annotate key details—focusing on vitals, medications, allergies, and notes on recent symptoms. Challenge them to note anything unusual or potentially unsafe.

3. Simulated Patient Interview (45 seconds)

Using the interview prompt cards, students will pair up: one plays the patient and the other the healthcare professional. The “professional” asks targeted questions to clarify symptoms, medication adherence, or environmental factors affecting safety. Use a stopwatch to keep this phase brief but purposeful.

4. Safety Determination & Discussion (45 seconds)

Students summarize safety concerns based on chart data and interview insights. They use the safety checklist to identify at least one risk and suggest a course of action (e.g., adjust medication, monitor symptoms, refer for further testing). Volunteers or pairs share findings in a brief 1-minute class wrap-up discussion.

---

Assessment

Formative assessment occurs through observation during the interview role-play and evaluation of the annotated patient charts and safety checklists. Teachers look for:

• Accuracy in identifying risks based on data (NGSS HS-LS1-3)
• Quality of questions asked during interviews (Engaging in Argument from Evidence)
• Relevance and feasibility of safety recommendations (Systems thinking)

---

Extension Ideas

• Integrate technology: Have students enter data into a digital patient safety simulation.
• Cross-curricular: Link with biology unit on homeostasis and feedback loops fleshing out how patient vitals reflect regulatory mechanisms.

---

Teacher Tips

• Prepare simple but medically plausible patient cases to ensure accessibility.
• Keep time strictly to maintain engagement and flow within only 3 minutes.
• Encourage reflective questioning: “What else might you want to know to be sure?”
• Highlight the real-world importance of safety in healthcare professions.

---

This quick, immersive activity will sharpen students’ data analysis, communication, and systems thinking skills while directly addressing NGSS standards relevant to human health and safety. It’s a snapshot of real scientific inquiry with authentic stakes to ‘wow’ both students and teachers!