Factors Affecting Patient Safety in Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital: A Multidisciplinary Perspective

Abstract

Patient safety (PS) is of special importance in Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital (IRH). Few studies have assessed the factors affecting PS in IRH. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the factors affecting PS based on the experiences of the rehabilitation team in an IRH. This qualitative study was conducted using the conventional content analysis approach in 2020-2021. The participants were 16 members of the rehabilitation team. They were purposively selected from Rofaydeh rehabilitation hospital, Tehran, Iran. Data collection was performed through semi-structured interviews and was continued up to data saturation. The mean age of the participants was 37.31 ± 8.68 years and their mean work experience was 8.75 years. The factors affecting PS in IRH were classified into five main categories, namely shortage of organizational resources, inappropriate physical environment of the IRH, inappropriate PS culture, patients’ and their caregivers’ limited participation in safety programs, and poor fall prevention programs. The results of this study revealed the factors affecting PS in IRH. Accurate identification of the influential factors on PS can help healthcare providers, managers, and policymakers use multi-component interventions to improve PS culture and increase PS in IRHs. Action research studies are also recommended to determine the main components of such interventions.

Keywords:

• Hospital
• patient safety
• qualitative study
• rehabilitation

Acknowledgement

Hereby, the authors would like to thank the study participants for sharing their valuable experiences.

Disclosure Statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate

The study was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. This study was a part of a PhD dissertation in nursing and all experimental protocols were approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran (code: IR.USWR.REC.1399.058). Necessary permissions for the study were obtained from this university and were provided to the research center of the study setting. The participants were informed about the study aims, the confidentiality of their data, and their freedom to voluntarily participate in or withdraw from the study. Written informed consent was also obtained from each participant.

Authors’ Contribution

SHR and HRK: study design and concept and drafting; HRK: supervision; SHR: performing the study, data collection, and writing the manuscript; SHR, HRK, NA, MFK, AE, and FL: analysis and/or interpretation of the data. All authors have read and approved the study.

Data Availability Statement

The datasets analyzed during the current study are available on request from the corresponding author.

Additional information

Funding

PhD scholarship was obtained from the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences. The study was financially supported by the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences. This study was approved and financially supported by the Research and Technology Administration of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.