APGO

Background: Pregnancy significantly increases the risk of VTEs in women. In the US, pregnancy-related mortality has been increasing with deaths due to VTEs representing a leading cause. To address this issue, a quality improvement study was designed to increase rates of VTE risk assessment and appropriate prophylaxis. By engaging medical students, they gain exposure to quality improvement processes in the healthcare setting and improve their clinical skills by counseling patients.

Methods: This study is part of a curriculum-wide integration of all third-year medical students into departmental quality improvement projects across the required clerkships. In the obstetrics and gynecology clerkship, students calculated obstetric patients\' risk of VTEs. Students worked with their teams to put in place appropriate prophylactic measures and then provided patient counseling regarding the recommended interventions. Medical students completed pre- and post-tests about their VTE knowledge and a survey regarding their experience with the study.

Results: 94% of third-year medical students who had completed their obstetrics and gynecology clerkship participated in this study. 76% of these students responded to a survey about their participation. Of these respondents, 92% reported participation had improved their understanding of obstetric VTE prophylaxis, 77% reported they had gained confidence counseling patients, and 69% reported having a better understanding of quality improvement in the healthcare setting.

Discussions: This study demonstrates that medical students can be engaged in a large-scale quality improvement initiative with the goal of improving patient outcomes. In addition to advancing the success of a departmental patient safety initiative, students reported increased medical knowledge and clinical skills.

Keywords: QI student engagement