The first study of patient safety culture in Iranian primary health centers

Although the error in health care has received attention recently, patient safety culture in health centers has been relatively neglected. To measure the patient safety culture in primary health centers. A cross-sectional study, utilizing the modified version of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC) developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and a demographic questionnaire. Healthcare staffs from health centers were participated in the survey. The patient safety culture score including subscores on 11 dimensions and 39 items; patient safety grade and number of events reported. The overall positive response rate of patient safety culture was 57 ± 16.8 (CI (95)55%-59%). The dimensions that received higher positive response rate were "Teamwork across units of health center", "Teamwork within units", "Head of center support for patient safety". The lowest percentage of positive responses was "Non punitive response to error". There were no relationship between working years and patients safely culture score. Similarly, no relationship was found between professional, gender and total patients safely culture score. Statistical analysis showed discrepancies between Iranian health centers and the US hospitals in three dimensions. For improving patient safety culture in health centers, it is necessary to have enough staff and establish an environment to be open and fair with staff which helps report errors spontaneously and without any fear. The findings of this study could be used to measure changes in patient safety culture over the time.