Factors influencing the patient safety climate in intensive care units: cross-sectional study

Abstract

Abstract Background Measuring the patient safety climate of a health service provides important information about the safety status at a given time. This study aimed to determine the factors influencing the patient safety climate in Intensive Care Units. Methods An analytical and cross-sectional study conducted in 2017 and 2018 in two adult Intensive Care Units of a Brazilian Teaching Hospital. The Safety Attitudes Questionnaire instrument was applied with the multidisciplinary teams to determine the factors influencing the patient safety climate. Data were double entered into a database and processed using the R (version 3.5.0) statistical software. Position, central tendency and dispersion measures were taken and absolute and relative frequencies, mean and confidence intervals were calculated for the quantitative variables. Linear regression was performed to verify the effect of variables on the SAQ domains. Variables with a p-value of less than 0.25 were selected for multivariate analysis. Results A total of 84 healthcare providers participated in the study. The mean Safety Attitudes Questionnaire score was 59.5, evidencing a negative climate. The following factors influenced the safety climate: time since course completion, professional category, type of employment contract, complementary professional training, and weekly workload. Conclusions The factors identified indicate items for planning improvements in communication, teamwork, work processes, and management involvement, aiming to ensure care safety and construct a supportive safety climate.

Keywords

• Intensive care unit
• Multidisciplinary team
• Organizational culture
• Patient safety
• Safety management