Understanding Patient Safety Culture: Measuring variability in Belgian acute hospitals

Abstract

The aim of this study was to measure differences in safety culture between work areas and professional groups. The aggregated data (47635 respondents) of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture from 90 acute Belgian hospitals were used for quantitative analysis. We found differences in response rates between medical staff (34.9%) and employees (55%). Handoffs and transitions, Staffing and Management support for patient safety were considered as major problem areas. Positive dimensional scores were higher for respondents working in pediatrics, psychiatry and revalidation in comparison with the emergency department, operating theatre and multiple hospital units. We found an important gap in perceptions of patient safety between leaders and assistants within disciplines.