Differing perceptions of safety culture across job roles in the ambulatory setting: analysis of the AHRQ Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Cu... - PubMed - NCBI

Differing perceptions of safety culture across job roles in the ambulatory setting: analysis of the AHRQ Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Cu... - PubMed - NCBI

BMJ Qual Saf. 2015 Oct 14. pii: bmjqs-2014-003914. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2014-003914. [Epub ahead of print]

Differing perceptions of safety culture across job roles in the ambulatory setting: analysis of the AHRQ MedicalOffice Survey on Patient Safety Culture.

Hickner J1, Smith SA2, Yount N2, Sorra J2.

Author information

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Experts in patient safety stress the importance of a shared culture of safety. Lack of consensus may be detrimental to patientsafety. This study examines differences in patient safety culture perceptions among providers, management and staff in a large national survey ofsafety culture in ambulatory practices in the USA.

METHODS:

The US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture (SOPS) assesses perceptionsabout patient safety issues and event reporting in medical offices (ie, ambulatory practices). Using the 2014 data, we analysed responses frommedical offices with at least five respondents. We calculated differences in perceptions of patient safety culture across six job positions (physicians, management, nurse practitioners (NPs)/physician assistants (PAs), nurses, clinical support staff and administrative/clerical staff) for 10 surveycomposites, the average of the 10 composites and an overall patient safety rating using multivariate hierarchical linear regressions.

RESULTS:

We analysed data from 828 medical offices with responses from 15 523 providers and staff, with an average 20 completed surveys permedical office (range: 5-367) and an average medical office response rate of 65% (range: 3%-100%). Management had significantly more positivepatient safety culture perceptions on nine of 10 composite scores compared with all other job positions, including physicians. The composite that showed the largest difference was Communication Openness; Management (85% positive) was 22% points more positive than other clinical and support staff and administrative/clerical staff. Physicians were significantly more positive than PAs/NPs, nursing staff, other clinical and support staff and administrative/clerical staff on four composites: Communication About Error, Communication Openness, Staff Training and Teamwork, ranging from 3% to 20% points more positive.

CONCLUSIONS:

These findings suggest that managers need to pay attention to the training needs of office staff, since this was an area with one of the greatest gaps in perceptions. In addition, both office managers and physicians need to encourage more open communication. As medical offices innovate to improve value, efficiency and patient-centred care, it is important that they continue to foster shared perceptions about what organisational members need, understanding that those perceptions may differ systematically by job position.

Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

KEYWORDS:

Ambulatory care; Medication safety; Patient safety; Safety culture

PMID:

 

26467390

 

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