Perspectives of Teaching Hospitals’ Medical Staff of the Dimensions of Patient Safety Culture

Patient safety culture is a critical element in promoting safety and improving the quality of patient care. To enhance this culture, evaluation of the present culture is necessary. This study aims to investigate the dimensions of patient safety culture from the perspective of the staff of Saveh teaching hospitals, Saveh City, Iran.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in two hospitals affiliated with Saveh University of Medical Sciences in 2019. The research sample consisted of 196 medical staff selected through the proportional stratified sampling method. The study data were collected through the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC) questionnaire and analyzed by the independent t-test and Mann-Whitney test in SPSS software v. 21. The level of significance was set as P<0.05. 

Among the 12 dimensions of the questionnaire, intra-organizational teamwork, by taking 76% of the total score (4.12±0.28), was desirable and considered the best dimension. However, teamwork among organizational units, by taking 36.6% of the total score (2.92±0.83), was in the poorest condition. There was a significant relationship between gender and patient safety culture, and women were more responsive to patient safety than men (P<0.05).

According to the study findings, improving patient safety culture and intercommunication between hospital units is necessary. It is recommended to provide a more intimate environment for communication between hospital personnel.