Assessment of patient safety non-technical skills among consultants and residents in tertiary care hospitals: An analytical study.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze Patient Safety Non-Technical Skills (PS NTSs) among consultants and residents for improving PS culture.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out among medical doctors (MBBS) working as Fellows of College of Physicians and Surgeons (FCPS) including residents and consultants in Medicine, Surgery and allied specialties in three tertiary care hospitals in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Sialkot from January to March 2023. Data was collected by face to face as well as using online Hospital Survey on PS Culture (HSOPSC) questionnaire. A total of 384 participants were enrolled in this study after taking informed consent. Average positive % responses with comparative responses among residents and consultants were calculated using appropriate statistical tests.

RESULTS

Positive response for Teamwork = 80.3%, System Based Practices = 61%, Communication within & inter units = 55.8% and 53.5% were the top three observations. Respondents with > five years of work experience were likely to practice PS 1.98 times > with one-five years (AOR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.20 - 3.63, p value = 0.03). Working of respondents for 20 to 39 hours per week is protective towards PS (AOR=0.048, 95% CI = 0.006 - 0.390, p value = 0.04). Respondents working in specialty for one to five years are 5.44 times > other work durations to follow PS (AOR 5.447, 95% CI = 2.052 - 14.4, p value = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Poor adverse event reporting, lack of non-punitive responses by hospital administration and differences in PS NTS perceptions and practices among respondents were observed.