What Has Been the Impact of Covid-19 on Safety Culture? A Case Study from a Large Metropolitan Healthcare Trust

Max Denning, Ee Teng Goh, Alasdair Scott, Guy Martin, Sheraz Markar, Kelsey Flott, Sam Mason, Jan Przybylowicz, Melanie Almonte, Jonathan Clarke, Jasmine Winter Beatty, Swathikan Chidambaram, Seema Yalamanchili, Benjamin Yong-Qiang Tan, Abhiram Kanneganti, Viknesh Sounderajah, Mary Wells, Sanjay Purkayastha and James Kinross
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Max Denning: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Ee Teng Goh: Department of Surgery, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London W2 1NY, UK
Alasdair Scott: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Guy Martin: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Sheraz Markar: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Kelsey Flott: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Sam Mason: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Jan Przybylowicz: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Melanie Almonte: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Jonathan Clarke: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Jasmine Winter Beatty: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Swathikan Chidambaram: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Seema Yalamanchili: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Benjamin Yong-Qiang Tan: Department of Medicine, National University Health System, Singapore 119228, Singapore
Abhiram Kanneganti: Department of Medicine, National University Health System, Singapore 119228, Singapore
Viknesh Sounderajah: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Mary Wells: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Sanjay Purkayastha: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
James Kinross: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-14

Abstract: Covid-19 has placed an unprecedented demand on healthcare systems worldwide. A positive safety culture is associated with improved patient safety and, in turn, with patient outcomes. To date, no study has evaluated the impact of Covid-19 on safety culture. The Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ) was used to investigate safety culture at a large UK healthcare trust during Covid-19. Findings were compared with baseline data from 2017. Incident reporting from the year preceding the pandemic was also examined. SAQ scores of doctors and “other clinical staff”, were relatively higher than the nursing group. During Covid-19, on univariate regression analysis, female gender, age 40–49 years, non-White ethnicity, and nursing job role were all associated with lower SAQ scores. Training and support for redeployment were associated with higher SAQ scores. On multivariate analysis, non-disclosed gender (−0.13), non-disclosed ethnicity (−0.11), nursing role (−0.15), and support (0.29) persisted to a level of significance. A significant decrease ( p < 0.003) was seen in error reporting after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the first study to investigate SAQ during Covid-19. Differences in SAQ scores were observed during Covid-19 between professional groups when compared to baseline. Reductions in incident reporting were also seen. These changes may reflect perception of risk, changes in volume or nature of work. High-quality support for redeployed staff may be associated with improved safety perception during future pandemics.

Keywords: patient safety; safety culture; Covid-19; health care professionals; safety attitudes questionnaire (SAQ) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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