Journal – plos one
Article type – Journal research article – Clinical research
Publication date – Oct – 2022
Authors – Aaron Asibi Abuosi, Collins Atta Poku, Priscilla Y. A. Attafuah, Emmanuel Anongeba Anaba, Patience Aseweh Abor, Adelaide Setordji, Edward Nketiah-Amponsah
Keywords – Ghanaian healthcare facilities, patient safety, quality care, Safety culture
Open access – Yes
Speciality – Health policy, Other
World region Western Africa
Country: Ghana
Language – English
Submitted to the One Surgery Index on November 5, 2022 at 10:01 pm
Abstract:

Introduction
Recognizing the values and norms significant to healthcare organizations (Safety Culture) are the prerequisites for safety and quality care. Understanding the safety culture is essential for improving undesirable workforce attitudes and behaviours such as lack of adverse event reporting. The study assessed the frequency of adverse event reporting, the patient safety culture determinants of the adverse event reporting, and the implications for Ghanaian healthcare facilities.

Methods
The study employed a multi-centre cross-sectional survey on 1651 health professionals in 13 healthcare facilities in Ghana using the Survey on Patient Safety (SOPS) Culture, Hospital Survey questionnaire. Analyses included descriptive, Spearman Rho correlation, one-way ANOVA, and a Binary logistic regression model.

Results
The majority of health professionals had at least reported adverse events in the past 12 months across all 13 healthcare facilities. Teamwork (Mean: 4.18, SD: 0.566) and response to errors (Mean: 3.40, SD: 0.742) were the satisfactory patient safety culture. The patient safety culture dimensions were statistically significant (χ2 (9, N = 1642) = 69.28, p < .001) in distinguishing between participants who frequently reported adverse events and otherwise.

Conclusion
Promoting an effective patient safety culture is the ultimate way to overcome the challenges of adverse event reporting, and this can effectively be dealt with by developing policies to regulate the incidence and reporting of adverse events. The quality of healthcare and patient safety can also be enhanced when healthcare managers dedicate adequate support and resources to ensure teamwork, effective communication, and blame-free culture.

OSI Number – 21811

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