Comparative study between the Patient Participation Culture Tool and the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture using retrospective data from 2014 to 2021

Abstract

Introduction Patient participation and safety are pivotal in healthcare quality, internationally acknowledged for enhancing health services. This study examines the correlation between two assessment tools, the Patient Participation Culture Tool (PACT) and the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSPSC), using retrospective data from 2014 to 2021. Method For the main analysis, dimensional scores of the HSPSC and domain scores of the PACT were aggregated according to hospital and specific wards. In a second step, we used aggregated scores by hospital and profession. Descriptive statistics outlined the sociodemographic characteristics of participants. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was employed to evaluate relationships between continuous variables represented by PACT domain and HSPSC dimensional scores among study participants. Results Data from 17 hospitals were analysed. The participants were distributed across 43 wards, and a match based on staff positions resulted in 37 different groups, predominantly comprised of nurses (>89%). At ward level, five PACT domains correlated significantly with ten different HSPSC dimensions (p<0.05), while a significant correlation was found between four PACT domains and seven HSPSC dimensions based on function. The correlation graphs demonstrate strong internal coherence within safety and participation culture measurements, highlighting the distinctiveness and validity of each questionnaire in capturing intricacies within patient safety and participation culture, supporting their construct validity. Conclusions This study compared the PACT and the HSPSC, revealing their connections and unique features. Using Spearman's correlation, it positively linked patient participation and safety culture, finding significant correlations, mainly moderate, between their specific aspects. It highlighted how patient involvement positively influences safety practices in healthcare, valuable for enhancing overall quality.