Assessment of patient safety culture in Oman; a national survey

Abstract Background Measures of patient safety culture among healthcare workers can provide important information about the structure and process of healthcare systems as well as helping to identify areas in need of improvement. Aim and Objectives The aim of this study was to assess the current state of patient safety culture in Omani healthcare institutions. Specific objectives were to provide up-to-date information on patient safety culture across all health care institutions under the Ministry of Health and to identify priority areas for improvement. Methods A cross sectional survey was conducted using the Hospital Survey of Patient Safety Culture (HSPSC) developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The online survey targeted all healthcare workers in different healthcare institutions in Oman. SPSS version 25 was used to analyse the results according to the AHRQ’s user guide. Results were compared against similar studies in the country, the region and across the world. Results A total of 1551 employees from 11 governorates completed the survey. The highest dimension of patient safety culture was teamwork, and the lowest was related to staffing and work pace. Conclusion Overall, the results were modest and comparable with those from other high-income countries. However, some of the dimensions scored less positively in comparison with previous studies in Oman. Despite showing positive attitude, several areas in need of improvement were identified. Areas that need urgent improvement are staffing and work pace which is universal but also reporting of error and response to it is a major factor the can have direct effect on the culture of safety. There should be focus on training in all aspects of safety to improve the culture especially with the challenge of high turnover of staff. Specific training is required in communication skills especially when dealing with families and when disclosing errors. Similar survey must be conducted regularly to identify areas of improvement and encourage the positive safety attitudes. Despite having teamwork as the highest positive response it is recommended to continuously monitor and enhance it as it remains a critical aspect of patient safety culture. This can be done through regular training and fostering of non-punitive culture and creating a supportive work environment.