Rajvir Singh
Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar
Title: Patient safety culture in Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Doha, Qatar
Biography
Biography: Rajvir Singh
Abstract
Unsafe medication practice and medication errors are a leading cause of patient safety incidents across the world. Patient safety culture is an essential element of universal health coverage and affects the sustainability of a health care system through decreasing errors and providing an optimal service. Many publications on patient safety exist but the organizational climate within Qatar has not been studied and can be compared to other non-Western countries where a few studies have been done. Patient safety can be defined as the avoidance and prevention of patient injuries or adverse events resulting from the process of health care delivery.
Aim: The aim of this study is to describe patient safety culture at HMC Qatar.
Design/Method: A validated questionnaire was used to conduct a web-based cross-sectional survey amongst health professionals; doctors, nurses and pharmacists in HMC. HMC includes seven different hospitals in Doha Qatar. The start date was Feb 2015 until July 2016. Study was approved by IRB, medical Research Center, HMC, Doha, Qatar and funded by the National Priority Research Program (NPRP) cycle 7.
Results: A total of one thousand, six hundred and four responses were received over the study period. Most responses (67.9%) were received from nurses followed by doctors (13.3%) and pharmacists (12.9%) Around three quarters (70.9%) were female and aged less than 40 years (76.0% and almost half (48.1%) had more than ten years of experience as a health professional in secondary care. The percentage agreement (strongly agree and agree) for each statement and the mean percentage agreement for each domain were calculated. Those domains with the lowest levels of agreement were: non-punitive response to errors (24.0%); staffing (36.2%); communication openness (50.5%); handoffs and transitions (53.1%); and supervisor/manager expectations and actions promoting patient safety (56.5%). The highest levels of agreement were: organizational learning – continuous improvement (85.1%); team working within unit (82.1%); and management support for patient safety (75.4%).
Conclusions: Most responses were derived from female Nurses comprising of 3/4 of the population aged less than 40 years. Continuous improvement, team working in unit, and management support were found more prominent factors in patient’s safety culture.