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[Analysis of the safety culture in a Cardiology Unit managed by processes]
Rafael Raso-Raso1, Joaquín Uris-Selles2, Andreu Nolasco-Bonmatí2
1Unidad de Cardiología, Hospital Virgen de los Lirios, Alcoy, Alicante, España.
Insights
Patient safety culture in cardiology units is high, especially when integrated quality and risk management systems are used. This study found it superior to national and U.S. benchmarks.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Patient Safety
- Cardiology
Background:
- A strong safety culture is crucial for preventing adverse events.
- Limited research exists on safety culture specifically within cardiology departments.
- This study addresses the gap by evaluating safety culture in a cardiology unit with a certified quality and risk management system.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the safety culture within a cardiology unit.
- To evaluate the impact of an integrated quality and risk management system on patient safety culture.
- To compare the unit's safety culture with national and international data.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional observational study was conducted over two consecutive years.
- The Spanish version of the "Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture" was administered to all staff.
- Data from 42 items across 12 dimensions were analyzed and compared to national and U.S. benchmarks.
Main Results:
- The overall safety culture assessment improved from 4.5 in 2014 to 4.7 in 2015.
- Seven dimensions were identified as strengths, while staffing, management support, and inter-unit teamwork were areas for improvement.
- The unit demonstrated superior safety culture compared to national data in all dimensions and to U.S. data in eight dimensions.
Conclusions:
- Cardiology units with integrated quality and risk management systems exhibit a high safety culture.
- The safety culture in this unit surpasses national averages and generally exceeds U.S. benchmarks.
- Implementing robust management systems positively influences patient safety culture.
Abstract:
Safety culture is one of the requirements for preventing the occurrence of adverse effects. However, this has not been studied in the field of cardiology. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety culture in a cardiology unit that has implemented and certified an integrated quality and risk management system for patient safety.
Methods:
A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in 2 consecutive years, with all staff completing the Spanish version of the questionnaire, "Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture" of the "Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality", with 42 items grouped into 12 dimensions. The percentage of positive responses in each dimension in 2014 and 2015 were compared, as well as national data and United States data, following the established rules.
Results:
The overall assessment out of a possible 5, was 4.5 in 2014 and 4.7 in 2015. Seven dimensions were identified as strengths. The worst rated were: staffing, management support and teamwork between units. The comparison showed superiority in all dimensions compared to national data, and in 8 of them compared to American data.
Conclusions:
The safety culture in a Cardiology Unit with an integrated quality and risk management patient safety system is high, and higher than nationally in all its dimensions and in most of them compared to the United States.