Perception of patient safety culture at the primary care level : the case of the Community Health Centre Ljubljana
Zaznavanje kulture varnosti pacientov na primarni ravni zdravstvenega varstva : raziskava v Zdravstvenem domu Ljubljana

english

2024

volume 63, issue 1

health promotion   patient safety   primary healthcare   quality heathcare   safety culture

Nacionalni inštitut za javno zdravje
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

Background: Patient safety is a crucial element of quality healthcare, and endeavours to enhance it are vital forattaining universal health coverage and improving patient outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the perceptionof patient safety culture among staff at the Community Health Centre Ljubljana (CHCL).Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in December 2022. All CHCL staff (N=1,564) from differentprofessional groups were invited to participate in an anonymous electronic survey using the validated Slovenianversion of the “Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture” (MOSPSC). Mean percent positive scores for allitems in each composite were calculated.Results: The final sample included 377 participants (response rate, 24.1%), most of whom were women (91.5%,N=345) with different professional profiles. The mean age of the participants was 44.5 years (SD 11.1) with a meanwork experience of 20.1 years (SD 12.1). The percentage of positive overall MOSPSC composite scores was 59.6%.A strong patient safety culture perception was identified in the following dimensions: Information exchange withother settings (93.5%), Organisational learning (90.2%), List of patient safety and quality issues (88.1%), Patient caretracking/follow-up (76.2 %) and Teamwork (75.0%). Weak patient safety culture was identified in the dimensions ofWork pressure and pace (10.7%), Leadership support for patient safety (27.1%), Communication openness (40.9%),Office processes and standardisation (48.2%) and Overall ratings on quality and patient safety (49.4%).Conclusions: CHCL leadership should address weaknesses, redesign processes, and implement strategies toreduce patient safety incidents. Establishing a just culture that encourages employees to report errors fosterstransparency and facilitates learning from errors.

05.04.2024