Survey on the culture of patient safety among Spanish health care residents

Abstract

To improve patient safety, it is essential to have knowledge of the attitudes of all those involved in health care. The Thomas Jefferson Survey on Inpatient Adverse Events was translated and validated; all residents in Asturias, Spain, were invited to complete the survey. A total of 359 residents (60%) completed the survey; 50% of those surveyed agreed that adverse events (AEs) can be prevented. A greater percentage of responses attributed more responsibility to patients (54.4%) than to physician errors (28.7%). A total of 72% of respondents had observed AEs over the past 2 months, and 37% would be willing to take part in a work group to improve patient safety. It is necessary to increase residents' involvement in efforts to improve patient safety, so that they will learn how to deal with health care risks and AEs and will share their knowledge and experiences.

Keywords: adverse events; attitudes of health care residents; medical education; medical errors; patient safety.