Perception of Front-line Health Care Providers toward Patient
Safety:
A Preliminary Study in a University Hospital in Egypt
: ‫إدراك الصف األول من مقدمي الرعاية الصحية للمرضى نحو أمان المريض‬
‫دراسة تمهيدية بمستشفى جامعي في مصر‬
Objective The increasing focus on improving patient safety in the healthcare
organizations made it crucial to, first, create a positive safety climate. The current
study targeted studying the perception of front-line healthcare providers towards
safety climate, management's and clinical staff's commitment to patient safety.
Methods: This preliminary study was conducted at Alexandria Main University
Hospital in Egypt during the period from March 2006 to December 2006, and
included a convenient sample of 400 front-line clinical staffs, from those working in
the general medical and surgical wards, ICUs, paramedical departments at
Alexandria Main University Hospital- Alexandria University- Egypt. "Safety Climate
Survey" was used to gain information about the front-line health care providers'
perception toward patient safety in the clinical settings.
Results: The majority of participants presented negative perception toward patient
safety. Physicians' perception toward patient safety climate was high as compared to
the nursing and paramedical personnel. Respondents perceived a significantly
stronger commitment to patient safety from their managers and surrounding safety
climate than from the clinical personnel. Also, perception of subjects working in the
general wards reflected a significantly poor commitment to safety from their
managers than those working in the I.C.Us and paramedical departments. Moreover,
a negative correlation was found between their years of experience and perception
toward patient safety climate and management commitment
Conclusion: Achieving an acceptable standard of patient safety requires that all
health care settings develop patient safety system including both a positive culture of
safety and an organizational support for safety processes. This will not be possible
unless the perception of the front-line health care providers and management
positively managed and directed.