The Predictors of Patient Safety Culture in Hospital Setting: A Systematic Review

Patient safety (PS) is a global public health concern. It is estimated that 10% of patients experience preventable harm while hospitalized. Patient safety culture (PSC) has been recognized as essential to improving PS, drawing inspiration from other high-risk industries. In PS research, however, PSC poses conceptual challenges, with inconsistent terminology, a lack of definitions, and limited use of substantiating theory. Despite these challenges, PSC remains widely used in PS research and practice, as it is seen as a potential gateway to understanding sociotechnical complex aspects of the healthcare system and improving safe patient treatment and care.

This review explores the concept of PSC in a hospital setting. How PSC is used as an outcome, thus exploring the theoretical position underpinning PSC, which predictors impact PSC, and how these predictors are related to PSC.

Using a search of 3 electronic databases, 23 studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected for review.

The review identified 81 predictors of PSC. Study population, unit of analysis and method varied widely. PSC as an outcome was assessed based on one of 4 surveys. Thus, the underpinning position of the PSC construct is dominated by an organizational/managerial approach.

The large number of predictors explored and the range in outcome measures, units of analysis, and methods make it hard to establish any causal relationship. We argue that studies closer to actual practices in the messy conditions of clinical practice are needed.