Knowledge and Attitudes towards Patient Safety among Students in Physical Therapy in Spain: A Longitudinal Study

Joaquina Montilla-Herrador, José A. Lozano-Meca (), Aitor Baño-Alcaraz, Carmen Lillo-Navarro, Rodrigo Martín-San Agustín and Mariano Gacto-Sánchez
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Joaquina Montilla-Herrador: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum (CMN), University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
José A. Lozano-Meca: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum (CMN), University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Aitor Baño-Alcaraz: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum (CMN), University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Carmen Lillo-Navarro: Department of Pathology and Surgery and Center for Translational Research in Physical Therapy (CEIT), University Miguel Hernández, Sant Joan, 03202 Alicante, Spain
Rodrigo Martín-San Agustín: Department of Physical Therapy, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Mariano Gacto-Sánchez: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum (CMN), University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 18, 1-11

Abstract: (1) Background: Patient safety is a discipline of health care management aiming to prevent and reduce errors and harm to patients. The assessment of knowledge and attitudes on patient safety among students in physical therapy is still scarce; no studies have yet explored the changes that internship periods may produce. Objectives: 1. to determine the attitudes and knowledge of students in physical therapy with respect to patient safety in a Spanish University; and 2. to explore changes following a practical internship period. (2) Methods: Longitudinal study. Data from the Attitudes to Patient Safety Questionnaire III (APSQ-III) before and after the internship period were obtained from an initial sample of 125 students and average positive response rates were compared. (3) Results: “Team functioning”, “Importance of patient safety in the curriculum”, and “Error inevitability” displayed the highest scores, in accordance with the current literature. After the internship period, the dimensions “Patient safety training received” ( p = 0.001), “Error reporting confidence” ( p = 0.044), and “Professional incompetence as an error cause” ( p = 0.027) showed significant changes. (4) Conclusions: The current study, highlighting areas of strengths and weaknesses in the knowledge and attitudes of students in physical therapy towards patient safety, may be a foundation to adopt tailored programs to enhance students’ competencies in patient safety.

Keywords: health quality management; physical therapy; patient safety; attitudes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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