Patient Safety Culture in Southern Brazilian Municipalities

Abstract

Population aging and demographic transition drive demand for healthcare services, increasing the risk of adverse events in these settings. The Patient Safety Culture study addresses person-centred care with strategies to achieve safe healthcare, encouraging interdisciplinary public policies. The objective of this study is to analyze Patient Safety Culture among multidisciplinary Primary Health Care teams serving adults and older adults in municipalities in the Vale do Rio dos Sinos region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. This study was conducted through a quantitative, cross-sectional study using an online tool formatted on a Likert scale with 52 questions—the Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture (MOSPSC). The results were processed using EpiInfo and SPSS software. Over more than 100 days of data collection, seven municipalities were reached and 90 professionals were included. The majority were women, professionals with only one employment contract, an average of nine years working in primary care, and most of them a lato sensu postgraduate degree. The data were analyzed according to the 12 safety culture dimensions proposed by the MOSPSC instrument and the general perception on average of these dimensions. Only the “Teamwork” and “Overall Assessment” dimensions were perceived as positive culture. The overall average among the Patient Safety Culture dimensions evaluated was less than 50% positive in Vale dos Sinos, demonstrating the need for implementation of this topic. Thus, sharing these findings with municipalities reinforces the urgency of working on safe care in PHC, especially regarding the elderly population. These data provide evidence for working on professional qualifications in the region, contributing to regional and national public policies beyond the context of safe care in primary care.