Abstract:
Background: Patient safety is recognized to be an endemic concern and healthcare
organization are challenged to improve it. In the aftermath of the IOM publication on
magnitude of adverse events in Unites States, the field of patient safety emerged and
healthcare organization were recommended to increase patient safety culture (PSC) to
improve patient outcomes. Most of the available data are from developed world with very
scanty data from developing and middle-income countries and no data available for
Rwanda.
Aim: To explore PSC in Rwandan teaching hospital operating rooms (OR): healthcare
provider perspectives.
Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional analytical study was carried out in three teaching
hospitals in Kigali. 152 participants selected by stratified random sampling strategy,
responded to the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture; a standardized tool that
measure 12 safety dimensions.
Positive responses were summed and averaged to have level of safety culture of each
safety dimension and ultimately the overall PSC. Analysis of variance was performed at
significance level of < .05 to check differences among groups and the contribution of each
safety dimension.
Results: The overall PSC was 51.6% and teamwork within unit was the only area of
strength (76.8%) while 6/12 safety dimensions had less than 50% positive perception;
non-punitive response to error, staffing, handoffs and transitions, frequency of events
reported, communication openness, and overall perception of patient safety; 21.7%,
34.4%, 42.4%, 42.6%, 47% and 49.5% of positive perceptions respectively.
Conclusion: The current level of PSC was recognized to be neutral with half of the safety
culture dimensions reflecting negative PSC. Therefore, patient safety improvement
strategies should be considered to address the areas of weaknesses.
