Organizational conditions and patient safety practices observed in a Hospital Detoxification Service in Ceará (Brazil)

Abstract

Objective: Analyzing the detoxification service offered by a mental health referral hospital from a patient safety perspective, based on the assessment of organizational conditions, identification of patient safety practices and description of strengths and weaknesses. Method: A descriptive, cross-sectional and quantitative study was carried out, with data obtained from primary and secondary sources and through a structured data collection instrument based on the specifications of the Ministry of Health protocols relating to the National Patient Safety Program, using non-participant observation techniques associated with documentary analysis. Results: The results show that the practices of hand hygiene (20%), fall prevention (41.7%), patient identification (42.9%) and safety in the prescription, use and administration of medicines (66.7%) had the lowest percentages of compliance with the recommendations of the protocols recommended by the Ministry of Health. On the other hand, effective communication (92.9%), aspects related to the functioning of the service, human resources (81.8%) and infrastructure (70%), were those with the highest percentage of compliance. Conclusion: The analysis of the Detoxification Service, from the perspective of patient safety, pointed out institutional weaknesses and strengths, which can be used by managers to plan actions to improve the quality offered to patients there, making a relevant contribution to the development of an organizational safety culture.