Comparing patient safety culture in primary, secondary and tertiary hospitals in Ghana

This study compared patient safety culture among health professionals in tertiary, secondary and primary hospitals.

We conducted a cross-sectional survey among thirteen primary, secondary and tertiary hospitals in Ghana. A structured questionnaire was administered to 1,656 health professionals. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA).

This study was conducted in the Greater Accra, Bono and Upper East regions, representing the southern, middle and northern ecological zones, respectively.

Health professionals.

The primary outcome was patient safety culture.

Five patient safety culture dimensions were rated moderate positive response, while five were rated high positive response. We found a statistically significant difference in patient safety culture across primary, secondary and tertiary hospitals (p < 0.05). For instance, the mean difference between tertiary and secondary hospitals was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Additionally, the mean difference between tertiary and primary hospitals was statistically significant (p < 0.05). There was also a significant difference in the means between secondary and primary hospitals (p < 0.05).

This study has demonstrated a variation in patient safety culture across Ghana's tertiary, secondary and primary hospitals. Therefore, healthcare managers and professionals should prioritise patient safety.

This work was supported by the University of Ghana [UGRF/13/MDG-001/2019-2020].