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 6 hours of MOC Section 3 credits and up to 18 Mainpro+ Group Learning credits.

Trainers and Master Trainers

Register Your Disclosure Training Session

All trainers are responsible for registering their disclosure training sessions with us in advance of the first session date.

Here’s how:

  1. Complete this online form 5-7 business days in advance of your first session, and we’ll email you once the session is confirmed.
    • Note: If the session is for the accreditation of a New Trainer it must be registered a minimum of 3-weeks in advance of the first session date. New Trainers are not eligible to facilitate a session until they have completed a Conflict of Interest form and it has been reviewed by the Saegis Scientific Planning Committee.
  2. Submit your attendance tracker 3-5 business days in advance of your first session by email once all participant names and emails have been confirmed. We need your participant list so we can prepare and schedule the course evaluations.
  3. Submit your attendance tracker by email again, once participant attendance has been confirmed at your final session. We need it this time so that we can prepare the attendance certificates and for our program accreditation reporting.
  4. We’ll email you attendance certificates which you can give to participants

Course Materials, Training Videos & Contact List

We provide access for trainers to course materials, training videos and a provincial contact list via the BCPSQC 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 registers their CUO session(s) following the ‘Register Your Disclosure Training Session’ steps a minimum of 3-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 the BC Patient Safety & Quality Council and Saegis Safety Institute and was planned to achieve scientific integrity, objectivity and balance.