Work Climate, Improved Communication, and Cohesive Work Linked with Patient Safety Culture: Findings from a Sports Medicine Hospital

Syed Sajid Ahmed^{* 1}, Abdulaziz Farooq¹, Samantha Poblete van Rijswijk¹

¹Aspetar Hospital, Doha, Qatar

Introduction: This study aims to investigate the patient safety culture at a sports medicine hospital and explore the quality of healthcare and associated factors. There are no known studies that have evaluated factors associated with a culture of patient safety in a sports medicine hospital. 

Methods: In a cross-sectional study design, the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPC) tool was administered online among staff at a sports medicine hospital in Doha, Qatar. The survey tool used in this study is version 1 of HSOPSC, developed by the Agency for Health Research and Quality to assess safety culture. Out of 898 staff who received an email invitation, 504 participated (56.1%). Ethical approval was obtained for the study. 

Results: The results showed that 48.0% of the staff rated the patient safety grade as excellent and 37.5% as very good, totaling 85.5%. Factors associated with excellent or very good patient safety grades were management support OR 4.7 95% CI (1.8 to 12.3); team communication OR 3.0 95% CI (1.4 to 6.3), supervisor action supporting patient safety OR 3.5 95% CI (1.7 to 7.0) and other items related to work area such as working together: OR 3.0 95% CI (1.2 to 7.6), helping out busy areas OR 2.5 95% CI (1.1 to 5.5) and having good procedures and systems: OR 2.8 95% CI (1.4 to 5.8). Our study compared our results to more than 10 international studies on patient safety culture.

Conclusion: In our study, we noticed that when the hospital management provides a work culture that promotes patient safety, there is a significant improvement in patient safety grade provided to the hospital, and this is evidence of a just culture. Teamwork within work areas/units is critical to ensure that there is improved safety in their work area/unit. Results from our study show a significant association between open discussions on patient safety and a positive patient safety grade. Addressing management support, enhancing communication, and cohesive work within the work area facilitates a culture of trust that improves patient safety grades. 

Citation: Ahmed SS, van Rijswijk SP, Farooq A. Work Climate, Improved Communication, and Cohesive Work Linked with Patient Safety Culture: Findings from
a Sports Medicine Hospital. Healthcare. 2023; 11(24):3109. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11243109