SAConsent, privacy and communication
Disclosing Medical Errors to Patients Course
Disclosing medical errors to patients in Saudi Arabia: the SPSC open disclosure policy, how to apologise, document and follow up after harm, with Saudi case studies
- 2hours of learning
- 9sections
- 20final questions
- 80%pass mark
- Online and self-paced, on any device
- Reflective account template
- Knowledge checks in every section
- Certificate the day you pass
What you will learn
- Apply the SPSC disclosure table to harm, suspected harm, no-harm events and near misses.
- Plan and lead an initial disclosure within the SPSC 24 to 48 hour guidance.
- Apologise sincerely without stating legal fault or promising compensation.
- Involve families, guardians and interpreters while respecting confidentiality.
- Record every item the SPSC requires and plan the post-analysis disclosure.
- Apply just culture principles and seek support after an event.
Who this course is for
SCFHS-registered, MOH-licensed physicians, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, health specialists and technicians.
Structured learning and a written reflection to show insight after a complaint, an investigation or a hearing before a violations committee or the Sharia Health Panel.
Focused learning on a core standard of practice, with a certificate and reflection for your portfolio.
About this course
When care goes wrong, what you say next matters. This course takes you through the Saudi Patient Safety Center's Patient Safety Event Disclosure Policy step by step: which events must be disclosed, who should lead and how soon, what to say in the first conversation, how to apologise sincerely without speculating about legal fault, and exactly what to record in the medical record. It also covers sentinel event reporting timelines, follow-up and the post-analysis disclosure, deferral and waiver, just culture, the legal context of complaints and claims, and support for practitioners after an event.
It is written for SCFHS-registered, MOH-licensed physicians, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, health specialists and technicians in Saudi government and private settings. Saudi case studies from hospitals, primary care centres and clinics show how to handle families, interpreters, faith and gender preferences, and errors made by colleagues or other facilities. The course ends with a guided reflection and a personal action plan you can keep in your development file.
Course details
- CPD value
- 2 CPD hours (estimated study time, including knowledge checks, reflection and the final assessment)
- Standards covered
- SPSC Patient Safety Event Disclosure Policy (Open Disclosure, V1); SPSC Sentinel Event Reporting and Management Policy (V1, effective 1 January 2025); SPSC Just Culture policy (V2, October 2022); SCFHS Code of Ethics for Healthcare Practitioners (Chs 1, 2, 4, 5 and 9); Law of Practicing Healthcare Professions (Royal Decree No. M/59, 1426H), Arts 5, 15, 17 to 18, 21, 26 to 27, 35, 38, 40 and 41, and Reg. 1-21; MOH Saudi Guidelines for Informed Consent (2019); MOH statement of patients' rights; Personal Data Protection Law (health data as sensitive data); SFDA guidance on reporting adverse drug reactions
- Format
- Online, self-paced on any device, 9 sections with Saudi case studies and knowledge checks; 12 months' access
- Assessment
- 20 scenario-based questions, 80% to pass (16 of 20)
- Outcome
- Certificate of completion showing the course title, CPD hours and date, plus a structured reflection and action plan
- Price
- SAR 229
Course curriculum
9 sections · 23 lessons · 2 hours of learning · 20-question final assessment
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1Why honest disclosure matters in Saudi healthcare3 lessons
- What disclosure means and what it does not mean
- The ethical and legal foundations in Saudi Arabia
- Why practitioners stay silent, and what silence costs
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2The SPSC Patient Safety Event Disclosure Policy3 lessons
- The six stages of the national disclosure framework
- Which events must be disclosed, and the level of response
- Who leads, who attends and when it should happen
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3The first hours after something goes wrong2 lessons
- Making the patient safe and reporting without delay
- Preparing for the initial disclosure conversation
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4Leading the disclosure conversation3 lessons
- Structuring the initial disclosure
- Saying sorry: apology, regret and admission
- Emotion, anger and questions you cannot answer
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5Family, culture and language in Saudi settings2 lessons
- Patients, families and confidentiality
- Language, interpreters, faith and gender
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6Documentation, follow-up and exceptions3 lessons
- Documenting disclosure in the medical record
- Follow-up and the post-analysis disclosure
- Deferral and the rare cases where disclosure is waived
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7Just culture, accountability and the legal context3 lessons
- Just culture: accountability without blame
- Disclosure when a complaint or claim may follow
- When the error was someone else's, or the team's
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8Wellbeing, support and learning after disclosure2 lessons
- Looking after yourself and your colleagues
- Learning from disclosure and improving practice
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9Reflection and action planning2 lessons
- Reflecting on your own disclosure practice
- Your personal disclosure action plan
Assessment and certificate
Final assessment
20scenario-based questions
- Pass mark 80%: 16 correct out of 20
- Knowledge checks in each section as you go
- Tests whether you can apply the standards, not recall a page
- Not passed yet? Review the sections and retake it
Certificate of completion
A dated certificate of completion for your learning portfolio. It records the course, the hours of learning and your result; SCFHS decides how any learning counts towards your registration.
- Your name, the course title and the hours of learning
- Completion date and a unique certificate ID that can be verified
- Ready to download as a PDF as soon as you complete the course
2 hoursYour reflective account
The course includes a structured reflective account template: guided prompts to record what you learned, how you will apply it and how the change will show in your practice. It gives you written evidence of insight after a concern, and a ready record for your CPD portfolio.
Write it in your own words and leave out anything that could identify a patient, a colleague or a case. If you have an open complaint or case, talk to your adviser before reflecting on it in writing.
Questions about this course
Is there a legal duty of candour in Saudi Arabia?
There is no single Saudi statute called a duty of candour. The duty is built from several sources: the SCFHS Code of Ethics, which places truthfulness at the centre of practice and asks practitioners to tell patients about their condition, causes and complications as soon as possible; the Law of Practicing Healthcare Professions, which requires practitioners to explain the condition and risks; MOH patients' rights; and the SPSC's national disclosure and sentinel event policies, which expect facilities to have a disclosure policy aligned with the national framework.
Which events does the SPSC say must be disclosed?
The SPSC disclosure policy says harm events and suspected harm are always disclosed, no-harm events are generally disclosed to confirm no harm occurred, and near misses are judged case by case. Section 2 explains the table, the low-level and high-level responses, and the extra duties for sentinel events.
If I apologise, am I admitting negligence?
The SPSC defines an apology as an expression of sympathy or regret. The course shows how to apologise for what happened without speculating about legal fault, which is for the proper processes to decide. No Saudi provision protecting apologies from use in later proceedings has been confirmed, so the course does not rely on one. If a claim is likely, take advice from your employer, insurer or a lawyer, but do not let that delay honest disclosure.
How soon should I tell the patient?
The SPSC policy asks for disclosure as soon as possible and as is practicable, ideally within 24 to 48 hours of the incident occurring or becoming known, or once the patient is able to take part. For sentinel events, the sentinel event policy asks for disclosure upon discovery.
Can the family be told instead of the patient?
A capable adult patient decides who is told, in line with the confidentiality rules in Article 21 of the Law and the SCFHS Code. Where the patient lacks capacity, disclosure is made to the representative and the patient is told later when able. Section 5 also covers minors, using the MOH 2019 consent guidelines, and family requests to keep information from the patient.
I am a nurse or pharmacist. Is this course relevant to me?
Yes. The most responsible physician usually leads a disclosure, but nurses, midwives, pharmacists, technicians and other team members recognise events, report them, take part in disclosure meetings, act as contact persons and document what was said. The course covers each of these roles and what to do if you discover an error made by someone else.
Will this course count towards my SCFHS CPD hours?
SCFHS decides how any learning counts towards your CPD; you can apply to SCFHS through Mumaris Plus to have learning recognised. Your certificate shows the course title, 2 CPD hours and the completion date.
Can this course help if my disclosure after an event has been questioned?
It can help you understand the standard expected, reflect honestly and show what you have changed, through the reflection and action plan in Section 9. It does not decide or predict the outcome of any complaint, investigation or case, and it is not legal advice.
How this course was built
- Official sources only
- Every legal and regulatory point comes from primary sources: Saudi laws and implementing regulations, SCFHS codes and guidance, and Ministry of Health publications. Anything we cannot confirm is left out.
- Original, edition by edition
- Lessons, scenarios and assessment questions are written by us for each edition separately, then checked for accuracy, teaching quality and fair assessment before publication.
- Reviewed when rules change
- When a code, standard or law changes, the affected courses are reviewed and updated. Reported errors in legal or regulatory facts are corrected first.
- Independent, and clear about it
- We are not affiliated with or approved by SCFHS, the Ministry of Health, any violations committee or any other government body, and we never promise an outcome.
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