Knowledge Level and Attitudes of Healthcare Professionals Regarding Patient Safety in a Tertiary Hospital in Somalia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND

Patient safety culture involves shared values, perceptions, and attitudes regarding safety within healthcare organizations, aiming to minimize preventable harm to patients. This concept has gained prominence worldwide, especially in Africa, where recent efforts focus on patient safety as a fundamental component of healthcare delivery. Despite progress, research into patient safety culture and its influencing factors remains limited in low-resource settings.

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed the knowledge and attitudes of healthcare professionals toward patient safety at a tertiary hospital.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted involving healthcare workers at the hospital. Data was collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire, capturing socio-demographic information, patient safety knowledge, and attitudes. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27, employing descriptive statistics and Pearson's chi-square test to evaluate differences between socio-demographic factors and patient safety attitudes.

RESULTS

Among 300 respondents, 59% were male, and 65% were aged 21-30 years. Nurses accounted for 41% of participants. The majority (86%) reported sufficient patient safety knowledge, with 82% supporting patient safety inclusion in undergraduate education, furthermore 44.8% exhibited positive attitudes. Age and professional experience were significantly associated with positive patient safety attitudes (P = 0.012 and P = 0.003, respectively). Most respondents (74.7%) reported encountering medical errors, primarily technical errors, indicating a need for targeted training interventions.

CONCLUSION

Despite adequate self-reported knowledge, positive attitudes toward patient safety were limited-particularly among younger and less experienced professionals. These findings indicate that improving patient safety in Somali healthcare settings requires not only educational initiatives but also system-level interventions, including leadership support, non-punitive error reporting, and strategies that empower frontline staff. Future research should explore how these factors influence long-term safety culture development.