Views on patient safety by operations managers in somatic hospital care: a qualitative analysis

Gunilla Karlsson, Karl Hedman, Bengt Fridlund

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DOI: 10.4236/ojn.2011.13005                

Abstract

Healthcare outcome is to achieve optimal health for each patient. It is a well-known phenomenon that patients suffer from care injuries. Operations managers have difficulties in seeing that the relationship between safety culture, values and attitudes affects the medical care to the detriment of the patient. The aim was to describe the views on patient safety by operations managers and the establishment of patient safety and safety culture in somatic hospital care. Four open questions were answered by 29 operations managers in somatic hospital care. Data analysis was carried out by deductive qualitative content analysis. Operations managers found production to be the most important goal, and patient safety was linked to this basic mission. Safety work meant to achieve optimal health outcomes for each patient in a continuous development of operations. This was accomplished by pursuing a high level of competence among employees, having a functioning report system and preventing medical errors. Safety culture was mentioned to a smaller extent. The primary target of patient safety work by the operations managers was improving care quality which resulted in fewer complications and shorter care time. A change in emphasis to primary safety work is necessary. To accomplish this increased knowledge of communication, teamwork and clinical decision making are required.

Keywords

Evaluation; Healthcare Improvement; ProFessional Healthcare; Patient Safety; Qualitative Content Analysis; Safety Culture

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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