Hospital Survey On Patient Safety Culture In Tertiary General Hospitals In Beijing

Background:Patient safety in hospitals is of global concern. Patient safety culture is usually defined as the common attitude, beliefs and value tendency issue of all staff towards patient safety. Researches show that the establishment of patient safety culture is a potential approach to promote progress in patient safety.Tertiarygeneral hospitals in Beijing are more likely to have patient safety concerns since the large number of hospital admissions and patients with complex health profiles. Thus, it is necessary to explore the patient safety culture in tertiary general hospitals in Beijing.Objectives:To describepatient safety culture in tertiary general hospitals in Beijing and to explore the influential factors in background material that affect the patient safety culture.Method:A cross-sectional study,2212doctors and nurses in8tertiary general hospitals in Beijing were recruited using the multi-stage sampling and were surveyed utilizing a background questionnaireand the Chinese version of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture which was originally developed by Professor Sorra sponsored by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.Result:(1)A total of2212questionnaires were distributed of which1936were responded validly (response rate87.5%).The subscale-level results showed that positive responsive rates for "teamwork within units"was higher than75%,indicating those were areas of strength for these hospitals.4areas had the potential for improvementwith the positive responsive rate lower than50%. The item-level results showed that7items presented a positive response higher than75%.15items presented a positive response lowers than50%.71.8%of the respondents gavetheir work area/unit apatient safety gradeof "excellent" or "very good" and5.2%of them gave their work area/unit a "poor" or "failing" grade.56.1%respondentswithinhospital reportedno event inthepast2months and31.8%respondentsreported1-2events.(2) Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that work unit, position, overtime work, working years in this unit andhighest academic credentials were the influential factors of patient safety culture score and explained7.7%of the variance of patient safety culture score.Conclusion:Patient safety culture intertiary general hospitals in Beijing had the potential for improvement. The "teamwork within units" is the patient safety culture subscales with the higher percent positive response. There is also room for improvement in the area of "communication openness","staffing","nonpunitive response to error" and "frequency of event reported". The influential factors in background materials on patient safety culture included work unit, position, overtime, working years in this unit and the highest academic credentials.