Patient safety attitude among healthcare workers at different levels of healthcare in Sharqia Governorate, Egypt

Abstract

Background: Patient safety (PS) has been identified as a significant healthcare challenge. A good safety attitude helps healthcare workers (HCWs) to decrease medical errors.

Aim: This study aimed to assess the PS attitude and identify its determinants among HCWs.

Setting: This study was conducted in Sharqia Governorate at different levels of health care.

Methods: This was a comparative cross-sectional study that involved240 HCWs selected after using a multistage cluster sampling technique from Sharqia Governorate.In ordertto assess the respondents’ attitudes towards PS, the modified Chinese Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (CSAQ) was used.

Results: The scale with the highest percentage of positive responses, on average, was safety climate (49.59%). The study found a statistically significant association between the level of health care and mean scores of ‘teamwork climate, perception of management, job satisfaction, working conditions, and stress recognition’ and the overall CSAQ score. In regression analysis, the highest degree of education and job type were significant predictors of PS attitude among the HCWs under study (p = 0.031 and 0.011, respectively).

Conclusion: According to the study’s findings, PS is low among HCWs in both healthcare units and hospitals, with a significantly higher score among hospital workers than among primary care workers. All PS composites need improvement starting with regular assessment of PS culture along with continuous monitoring.