PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Teemu Reiman
AU  - Elina Pietikäinen
AU  - Pia Oedewald
TI  - Multilayered approach to patient safety culture
AID  - 10.1136/qshc.2008.029793
DP  - 2010 Oct 01
TA  - Quality and Safety in Health Care
PG  - e20--e20
VI  - 19
IP  - 5
4099  - http://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/19/5/e20.short
4100  - http://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/19/5/e20.full
SO  - Qual Saf Health Care2010 Oct 01; 19
AB  - Background The concept of patient safety culture (PSC) has increasingly been used in the development of patient safety. However, no theoretical framework on the nature of the underlying phenomenon has been created. Multiple characterisations of the key dimensions of PSC exist, but they yield little theory on patient safety culture or its relation to patient safety. The authors propose a dynamic and multilayered construct of patient safety culture and illustrate the critical dimensions at each layer.Conclusions PSC can be defined as the willingness and ability of an organisation to understand safety as well as the willingness and ability to act on safety. Patient safety requires controlling and steering the organisation, and being mindful of the social processes and psychological phenomena.