Factors influencing patient participation among inpatients in small and medium-sized hospitals

This study aimed to identify factors influencing patient participation among inpatients at small and medium-sized hospitals and to provide foundational data for promoting patient safety. A survey was conducted with 297 patients who were admitted to small and medium-sized hospitals in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 26.0 program, utilizing descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The results of the analysis showed that patient experience (β=0.45, p<.001), health literacy (β=0.34, p<.001), patient safety education (β=0.13, p<.001) and self-efficacy (β=0.09, p=0.036) had a significant effect on patient participation, and the explanatory power of these factors was 80.7%. In addition, age, marital status, occupation, experience with patient safety incidents, and experience with patient safety education were identified as general characteristics that had a significant influence on the main variables. This study suggests the necessity of personalized educational programs that reflect the characteristics of small and medium-sized hospitals and inpatients, indicating that such programs can contribute to enhancing patient participation and strengthening patient safety.