Patient safety culture in Slovenian out-of-hours primary care clinics

Abstract

Introduction Patient safety culture is a concept which describes how leader and staff interaction, attitudes, routines and practices protect patients from adverse events in healthcare. We aimed to investigate patient safety culture in Slovenian out-of-hours health care (OOHC) clinics, and determine the possible factors that might be associated with it.

Methods This was a cross-sectional study, which took place in Slovenian OOHC, as part of the international study entitled Patient Safety Culture in European Out-of-Hours Services (SAFE-EUR-OOH). All the OOHC clinics in Slovenia (N=60) were invited to participate, and 37 agreed to do so; 438 employees from these clinics were invited to participate. We used the Slovenian version of the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire – an ambulatory version (SAQAV) to measure the climate of safety.

Results Out of 438 invited participants, 250 answered the questionnaire (57.1% response rate). The mean overall score ± standard deviation of the SAQ was 56.6±16.0 points, of Perceptions of Management 53.6±19.6 points, of Job Satisfaction 48.5±18.3 points, of Safety Climate 59.1±22.1 points, of Teamwork Climate 72.7±16.6, and of Communication 51.5±23.4 points. Employees working in the Ravne na Koroškem region, employees with variable work shifts, and those with full-time jobs scored significantly higher on the SAQ-AV.

Conclusion The safety culture in Slovenian OOHC clinics needs improvement. The variations in the safety culture factor scores in Slovenian OOHC clinics point to the need to eliminate variations and improve working conditions in Slovenian OOHC clinics.

Uvod. Kultura varnosti je koncept, ki opisuje, kako odnosi med vodstvom in osebjem, njihova stališča, postopki in praksa varujejo bolnike pred škodljivimi dogodki zaradi napake v zdravstvu. Z raziskavo smo želeli raziskati kulturo varnosti v slovenskih dežurnih ambulantah na primarni ravni zdravstvenega varstva in določiti dejavnike, ki so povezani z njo. Metode. To je bila prečna opazovalna raziskava, ki je potekala v slovenskih dežurnih ambulantah na primarni zdravstveni ravni in je bila del mednarodne raziskave z naslovom Patient Safety Culture in European Out-ofHours services (SAFE-EUR OOH). K sodelovanju smo povabili vse dežurne ambulante v Sloveniji (N=60), 37 jih je sodelovanje potrdilo. V teh ambulantah je bilo k sodelovanju povabljenih 438 zaposlenih. Uporabili smo slovensko različico lestvice Safety Attitudes Questionnaire – ambulatory version (SAQ – AV), s katero smo merili raven kulture varnosti. Rezultati. Od 438 povabljenih je vprašalnike izpolnilo 250 zaposlenih (57,1%). Povprečna vrednost lestvice SAQ – AV je bila 56,6±16,0 točke. Povprečna vrednost faktorja dojemanje vodstva je bila 53,6±19,6 točke, faktorja zadovoljstvo z delom 48,5±18,3 točke, faktorja ozračje varnosti 59,1±22,1, faktorja ozračje timskega dela 72,7±16,6 in faktorja sporazumevanje 51,5±23,4 točke. Zaposleni v regiji Ravne na Koroškem, zaposleni z izmenskim delom in zaposleni s polnim delovnim časom so imeli statistično višji seštevek točk na lestvici SAQ – AV. Zaključek. Kultura varnosti v slovenskih dežurnih ambulantah potrebuje izboljšave. Različni seštevki točk na lestvici SAQ – AV v različnih regijah Slovenije in v različnih dežurnih ambulantah kažejo na potrebo po zmanjšanju razlik in izboljšanju delovnih pogojev