Partnership, inter-professional teamwork and stakeholder engagement are three core attributes of the first-ever inter-professional Patient Safety Framework in Canada. Educating health care providers about patient safety and enabling them to use the tools and knowledge to build and maintain a safe system is critical to CPSI's vision of creating one of the safest health systems in the world. The need for a comprehensive, widely accepted patient safety competencies framework that could be incorporated into educational programs and professional development activities for health professionals in Canada was considered to be key to the Institute's Education mandate. 

Over the past two years, CPSI's Education and Professional Development Advisory Committee and collaborators led the development of a unique set of core competency domains, suitable for all health professionals to incorporate into their practice and into their professional development. The committee was fortunate to partner with The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (CanMEDS Office), which expertly coordinated and facilitated the development of the Safety Competencies Framework in collaboration with many content experts and collaborators.

The Safety Competencies provide a framework of six core domains of relevant knowledge, skills and attitudes for all health care professionals. By contributing to the patient safety education and professional development of health care providers, the Safety Competencies can contribute to safer patient care.

On behalf of the Canadian Patient Safety Institute, I would like to recognize the work of the Education and Professional Development Advisory Committee, the Safety Competencies Steering Committee and the working groups, as well as The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada for their partnership and experience. The Safety Competencies Framework is a cornerstone of CPSI's educational mandate; I am convinced that this document will be an important attribute in achieving a safer health care system for Canadians.

Philip Hassen
Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI) /
Institut canadien pour la sécurité des patients (ICSP)