Factors Affecting Patient Safety Culture In A Tertiary Care Hospital In Sri Lanka

Abstract - Purpose Patient safety is an important component of the quality of health care. As health care organizations improve their quality of care importance of establishing patient safety culture arises. According to WHO rate of adverse incidents of healthcare system is very high in developing countries. Sri Lanka being a developing country may encounter adverse events in healthcare system due to lack of infrastructure and equipment quality and supply of drugs poor performance of health care staff and severe shortage of essential financial investments. This will be helpful in patient safety improvements and developmental studies. Methodology This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out to assess the current patient safety culture in a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka. This study was carried out using a self administered questionnaire with eleven dimensions of patient safety culture on with 389 respondents including Administrators Consultants and Postgraduate trainees Medical Officers House officers and Nursing Officers. Pearsons correlation was used to assess the patient safety culture in the hospital by measuring correlation between overall patient safety and other independent variables. Findings This survey showed there is a positive response towards patient safety culture within the organization. Correlation between the overall patient safety and other variables are found to be significant. Prevailing patient safety culture seems to be in a reactive stage but with strong blame Culture. Originalityvalue This is a patient safety culture assessment which was done in Sri Lanka for the first time in government sector hospitals under developing country setting.