Affiliations: [a] Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan | [b] School of Medicine, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia | [c] Department of Family and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan , Amman, Jordan | [d] Emergency Department, The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia | [e] University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia | [f] School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Muhammad Ahmed Alshyyab, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan. E-mail: maalshyyab7@just.edu.jo
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Safety culture in Emergency Departments (EDs) requires special attention due to unique operational feature of the ED environment. Which may influence a culture of patients’ safety in the ED. OBJECTIVE:To identify the factors that influence patient safety culture in EDs. METHODS:A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 12 ED staff was carried out in two Australian EDs. The data was thematically analysed to identify and describe the factors perceived by staff as influencing patient safety culture. RESULTS:The findings revealed four super-ordinate themes and 19 categories. The themes were the following: (1) Environmental and Organisational; (2) Healthcare Professional (3) Managerial factors; and (4) Patients factors. CONCLUSIONS:Safety culture in the ED is influenced by complex set of factors. The results of this study may help ED workers with improving patient safety culture and healthcare quality in the ED.
Keywords: Emergency department, patient safety culture, patient safety, quality health care
