Interventional Management Actions: A Semi-experimental Study on Improving Patient Safety Culture

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to examine and compare the dimensions of patient safety culture in different departments of Imam Hossein Hospital before and after interventional management actions (IMA), as well as to identify issues related to patient safety culture based on data analysis. Methods: This semi-experimental study was conducted from late December 2023 to early May 2024, with a random sample of 210 staff members from Imam Hossein Hospital in Tehran. The IMA consisted of an educational intervention on patient safety and quality of care, which took place over four months (February to May 2023). Patient safety culture in clinical and paraclinical departments was assessed twice: Once before the IMA and again after one year, using the hospital survey on patient safety culture (HSOPSC) tool. Results: The overall mean score for safety culture after the IMA was significantly improved compared to before (mean difference = 13.16 ± 24.90, P-value < 0.001). These improvements were also reflected in the overall percentage of positive responses, which increased from 41.07% to 51.83%. The frequency of reported patient safety events increased from 50.95% to 61.90% following the IMA. The organizational learning-continuous improvement dimension (87.14%) received the highest positive score after the IMA, while staffing received the lowest positive score both before (15.83%) and after (17.13%) the IMA. Conclusions: The improvement in patient safety culture, based on the results of this study, highlights the value of teamwork and underscores the importance of prioritizing this area for hospital managers. Addressing the challenges associated with providing safe healthcare requires proactive actions, including encouraging staff to report safety incidents and supporting organizational learning.