Assessment of Patient Safety Culture among Egyptian Healthcare Employees

Abstract

A limited amount of data exists from developing and underdeveloped nations related to patient safety culture among diverse healthcare employees. This study aimed to identify baseline perceptions and attitudes towards patient safety across healthcare disciplines at two Egyptian hospitals using a validated survey tool to allow for comparison with international benchmarks. We conducted a cross- sectional study of 250 employees, who voluntarily completed the survey over a 14-day period. Results revealed that job satisfaction scored highest among the safety domains assessed and was significantly greater than the international benchmark. Job satisfaction was followed by teamwork climate, working conditions, safety climate, and perceptions of unit management and hospital management. All mean scores for these domains were significantly greater than the international benchmarks. In contrast, the mean score of stress recognition was significantly less than the international benchmark. Respondent demographics did not influence overall safety perception measured by the six domains; however, resident physicians perceived greater collaboration and communication among team members than other position types reported. Egyptian healthcare providers reported an overall positive perception of the culture of safety. However, recognition of the negative implications of stress on patient safety among Egyptians was lower than the international benchmark. Clinical Relevance: Our study provides insight into patient safety perceptions among diverse healthcare employees in a developing nation, establishes baseline data on safety culture at two hospitals, and offers a comparison between Egyptian healthcare workers’ patient safety attitudes and international benchmarks.