Evidence-based strategies and interventions for improving patient safety culture in the operating room: a modified...

This study aims to identify and establish consensus on the most important and feasible strategies for improving patient safety culture in the operating rooms of Jordanian hospitals.

The study used a modified, two-round Delphi method. Researchers and key leaders in the Jordanian surgical medicine community with relevant expertise participated (n = 15). Across rounds, participants generated and rated the importance and feasibility of strategies to promote patient safety culture in the operating room. Participants viewed group consensus and importance ratings between rounds and had the chance to re-rate their statements.

A total of 21 strategies were derived, and consensus on the level of importance was rated as perfect for 19 strategies and fair for the remaining two strategies. However, regarding feasibility, four strategies (19.1%) achieved perfect consensus, six strategies achieved fair consensus (28.5%) and the rest achieved poor consensus (52.4%).

It has been widely recognized that improving patient safety culture is significant for the continuous improvement of quality in the operating rooms. However, this study affirms the disconnect between the importance of key improvement strategies and their perceived feasibility. This study provides managers, policymakers and healthcare providers with a basis for identifying evidence-based strategies that are required for improving patient safety culture and patient outcomes in the operating rooms. However, further work is necessary to identify how such strategies may be applied.