RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Improving patient safety: the comparative views of patient-safety specialists, workforce staff and managers
JF BMJ Quality & Safety
JO BMJ Qual Saf
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 424
OP 431
DO 10.1136/bmjqs.2010.047605
VO 20
IS 5
A1 Jeffrey Braithwaite
A1 Mary T Westbrook
A1 Maureen Robinson
A1 Sarah Michael
A1 Christy Pirone
A1 Philip Robinson
YR 2011
UL http://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/20/5/424.abstract
AB Introduction Methods for improving patient safety are predicated on cooperation between healthcare groups, but are the views of health professionals involved in promoting safety shared by other healthcare workforce staff and managers?Aim To compare patient-safety suggestions from health workforce managerial and staff groups with those of patient-safety specialists.Method Samples of managers (424) and staff (1214) in the South Australian state health system and 131 Australian patient-safety specialists were asked to write suggestions for improving patient safety. Group responses were content analysed and compared.Results Patient-safety specialists (83.2%) were more likely to make suggestions than were workforce managers (57.8%) or staff (44.1%). Workforce members from clinical professions were more likely than non-clinicians to tender suggestions. No relationship existed between the importance specialists and managers (ρ=−0.062, p=0.880) and specialists and staff (ρ=−0.046, p=0.912) attached to nine categories of suggestions. There was a high correlation between the importance that managers and non-managers attached to safety strategies (ρ=0.817, p=0.011). Among those who made suggestions, specialists were more likely to suggest implementing reviews and guidelines, and incident reporting. Workforce groups were more likely to recommend increased and improved staffing and staffing conditions, and better equipment and infrastructure. There were no significant differences in the proportions of group members recommending: improving management and leadership; increasing staff safety education and supervision; communication and teamwork; improved patient focus; or tackling specific safety projects.Implications Differences between safety specialists' and workforce groups' beliefs about how to improve patient safety may impede the successful implementation of patient-safety programmes.