Patient safety culture in the perception of health professionals: A mixed methods research study

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the patient safety culture perceived by health professionals working in a hospital and to understand the elements influencing it. Methods: A sequential explanatory mixed methods study, conducted in 2017 in two interrelated stages in a hospital. The quantitative stage was carried out by applying the questionnaire to 618 professionals and the qualitative stage, with ten, using the focus group technique. The analysis was descriptive statistics for the quantitative data and of content for the qualitative data. Subsequently, the data were submitted to integrated analysis. Results: Of the 12 dimensions, seven were considered weak, the most critical being “non-punitive response to error” with 28.5% of positive answers. Bureaucratic, poorly designed and uncoordinated processes, regional decisions, communication failures, hierarchy, overload, punishment and judicialization were related to the perception. Conclusions: The patient safety culture was considered weak, and elements related to work organization, people management and legal risk influenced this negative perception.

Patient Safety Climate, Quality of Care, and Intention of Nursing Professionals to Remain in Their Job During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Similarly, other studies using the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture 20,21 emphasized that the dimensions of nonpunitive response to errors and supervisor/ management expectations and actions that promoted patient safety had the lowest positive responses, which can be compared with the dimensions of unit recognition and support for safety efforts and fear of blame and punishment of the PSCHO. 20,21 Based on the aforementioned findings, it was observed that the outcomes showed a higher probability of a negative perception of the patient safety climate, considering the theory that underlies high-reliability organizations. 16,22 High-reliability organizations point out several important factors that can help to achieve a strong safety climate.…”

“…Among the dimensions with the highest PPR rates, the provision of safe care stood out, followed by unit recognition and support for safety efforts and fear of blame and punishment. Similarly, other studies using the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture 20,21 emphasized that the dimensions of nonpunitive response to errors and supervisor/management expectations and actions that promoted patient safety had the lowest positive responses, which can be compared with the dimensions of unit recognition and support for safety efforts and fear of blame and punishment of the PSCHO 20,21 …”