The long road to an efficient safety culture

Abstract

Introduction/Objective Patient safety is defined as the prevention of errors and adverse effects aimed at patients and associated with health care. Patient safety culture (PSC) is "the product of individual and group values, attitudes, perceptions, competencies and patterns of behaviour that determine the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of, an organization's health and safety management." Improving the perception of the PSC within the healthcare sector plays a key role in improving its overall quality, efficacy and productivity. This article aims to point out the importance of the inexhaustible and very interesting topic of safety culture as a basis for further research and strategy creation. Methods This is a qualitative research paper, based on a scientific review of the literature. Relevant articles for this review have been identified by searching digital databases: PubMed, Medline and Google Scholar. The research was retrospective and covered a timeframe of five years. Articles were selected by introducing keywords relevant to the subject. Results The results are based on the analysis and review of 12 published scientific articles from 2017 to 2021. Conclusion Patient safety must be the priority of the healthcare provider. Theoretical foundations should be combined with educational experiences following the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes for effective patient safety. Adverse event reporting should include learning from mistakes, supporting an environment that encourages reporting without blame or fear of punishment. The healthcare system needs to be made as safe as possible for both the patients and all those providing healthcare. Improving and developing the quality of healthcare requires knowledge, selection and application of specific methods and tools tailored to the capabilities of individual healthcare institutions.