Informatics in Medicine Unlocked (Jan 2022)
Perceptions of patient safety culture among healthcare professionals in Ministry of Health hospitals in Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia
Abstract
Healthcare Organizations (HCOs) give due importance to the quality and safety of their services by incorporating a strong Patient Safety Culture (PSC) among employees. Accordingly, this study adopted a cross-sectional study design to reveal the perception of HCPs towards PSC in the selected Ministry of Health (MOH) hospitals of Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. The sample consisted of 781 HCPs, including 221 nurses, 216 doctors, 198 other clinical staff, and 146 administrative staff were administered with the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC) questionnaire. The data collected from the samples were subjected to suitable statistical analysis. The results showed that the overall composite positive score for all the 12 PSC dimensions was 67%. In addition, 79% of the HCPs graded the overall patient safety in MOH hospitals as “excellent” or “very good”. More nurses have graded the overall patient safety as “excellent” or “very good” than physicians, other clinical staff, and administrative staff. Among PSC dimensions, “Teamwork within units” was the strength of the selected MOH hospitals, though communication openness, handoffs and transitions, staffing, and non-punitive response to error were identified as weaknesses. There was a significant difference between the four job categories of HCPs' perception regarding the PSC dimensions, viz. Supervisor/Manager Expectations & Actions Promoting Patient Safety, Staffing, Communication Openness, and Overall Perception of Patient Safety (p < 0.05). This study uncovers the strengths and weaknesses of the selected MOH hospitals concerning their PSC from HCPs outlooks, thereby helping them take the necessary initiatives to improve and sustain patient safety.
