Abstract:
Introduction: Patient safety is an issue of global concern, but health care
organizations around the world have lately observed to pay more attention to the
importance of establishing a culture of safety. The study aimed to assess the level of
patient safety culture and associated factors among health care providers in the
University of Gondar comprehensive specialized hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, 2020.
Methods: A cross-sectional study design supported by the qualitative approach was
conducted from March 15 to May 15/2020. A stratified simple sampling technique
was used to select 575 study participants. The standardized tool, which measures 12
safety culture dimensions used for data collection. Bivariate and multivariable linear
regression analyses performed using SPSS version 23. The significance level was
obtained at 95% CI and p-value< 0.05. For the qualitative part, a semi-structured
interview guide with probing was used. Data were analyzed thematically using open
code software version 4.02.
Results: The overall level of positive patient safety culture was 45.3% (95%CI: 44.7,
45.9) with a response rate of 92.2%. Female (?=4.31,95%CI: 1.720, 6.907),
divorced/widowed(?=-5.735,95%CI:-11.115,-0.355),masters (?=5.283,95%CI:1.146,
9.420),midwives(?= -13.091,95%CI: -18.550, -7.631),anesthetist(?= -8.493,95%CI: 16.553,
-0.452),medicine(?=
-6.305,95%CI:
-10.543,
-2.067),pediatrics(?=
-5.341,95
%CI:
-9.582,
-1.1),emergency(?=
-8.183,95%CI:
-13.434,
-2.932),
outpatient(?=-
6.6
90,95%CI:
-11.943,
-1.437),pharmacy(?=
-10.006,95%CI:
-16.256,
-3.756),direct
con
tact
with
patients(?=
-10.325,95%CI:
-13.562,-
7.088),
participation
in
patient
safety
program(?=4.121,95%CI:1.072,7.170),adverse
event
report
(?=4.318,95%CI:1.840,6
.796),
hospital
management
encourage
reporting
event(?=6.037,95%CI:3.401,
8.67),
hospital
management blame when medical errors happened (?=-4.522,95%CI:7.02,-2.023),and
resource
(?=5.027,95%CI:0.921, 9.132) were factors significantly
associated with the patient safety culture. The in-depth interview revealed teamwork,
healthcare professionals’ attitude toward patient safety and patient involvement as
important factors that influence patient safety culture.
Conclusions and recommendations: The overall level of positive patient safety
culture was low. All variables except age,training, working hour,and working
experience were factors significantly associated with the patient safety culture.
Healthcare policy-makers and managers should consider patient safety culture a top
priority, and also create a blame-free environment that promotes event reporting.
Keywords; patient safety culture, health care providers, Gondar, Ethiopia.
