Moghri j¹ (PhD student), Akbari Sari A¹ (MD, PhD), Rahimi Forooshani A² (PhD), Arab M¹ * ( PhD )

  ¹ Department of Health Management and Economics, School of Public Health,

  Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

  ² Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health,

  Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

  Received: 8 Jul 2012, Accepted: 17 Aug 2013

  Abstract

  Introduction: Patient safety is the most important part of medical care, and also a major pillar of the "Clinical Governance". The first stage of the "patient safety improvement step by step plan" is to know safety culture and to strive towards improving it. Regarding the importance of clinical governance in the health system, and hospitals movements towards creating "Patient Friendly Hospitals", this study aimed to measure the current status of patient safety culture in general hospitals affiliated to the biggest medical university in Iran.

  Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in a period of six month in 2009. We used stratification to allocate 420 staff proportionally in each stratum. The HSOPS questionnaire was used to gather data. Total positive scores, ANOVA and T-test were used to analyze data.

  Results: A total of 343 out of 420 individuals sent back the questionnaires (response rate: 81.6%). In almost all dimensions, positive scores in our study were lower in comparison with the benchmark hospitals (hospitals participated in the AHRQ's survey in 2009). The highest positive score was calculated for the "teamwork within units" (69%) while the lowest score was calculated for the "non punitive response to error" (18%).

  Conclusion: The results showed relatively high difference between the statuses of patient safety culture in the studied hospitals with hospitals in other countries. Policy makers, authorities and managers should pave the way towards a balanced improvement in safety culture and patient safety.

  Key words: m easurement, patient safety culture, general hospital, Tehran

  Please cite this article as follows:

  Moghri j, Akbari Sari A, Rahimi Forooshani A, Arab M. Patient Safety Culture Status in General Hospitals Affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Hakim Research Journal 2013 16(3): 243- 250.

  * Corresponding Author: Department of Health Management and Economics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Tel: +98- 21- 88989129, E-mail: arabmoha@.tums.ac.ir