Relationships between organizational culture, team orientation, and patient safety climate within a specialty hospital and clinic system

lthough researchers have theorized that medical errors are due to defects in the design and conditions of medical work rather than from personal failings, little empirical evidence quantifies the relationships between such conditions and patient safety. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between organizational culture, team orientation and perceptions of safety. The study was an examination of (a) organizational culture, as measured by the Denison Organizational Culture Survey (DOCS); (b) team orientation, as assessed by a subset of the DOCS and the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ); and (c) patient safety climate, as measured using the SAQ. The key research question explores healthcare professionals' perceptions of culture and team orientation with regard to safety climate. A correlational design and survey methodology were used to gather data from a select sampling of healthcare professionals and their managers in one Midwestern specialty healthcare organization. Cluster analysis of factors reflecting particular culture traits and the condition of team orientation revealed that traits have a more positive effect on safety climate than does team orientation. Statistical analysis revealed the trait of adaptability has a significant relationship to safety climate while the trait of mission has a significant relationship to team orientation. It is recommended that healthcare administrators use these results to guide planning and resource allocation for patient safety improvement projects. Positive social change can be realized by designing healthcare work structures and environments that strengthen organizational adaptabilty. The...