Polish long-term care facilities can now utilize the Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture (NHSOPSC) to assess and improve their patient safety measures, following a successful validation study.
Robust Methodology Ensures Accurate Assessment
Researchers initiated the study by meticulously translating the NHSOPSC into Polish, ensuring cultural and contextual relevance. A cross-sectional survey was then conducted, engaging medical, auxiliary, and administrative staff across various inpatient long-term care settings. To bolster the study’s reliability, a follow-up measurement was performed in selected facilities. Advanced statistical techniques, including Diagonally Weighted Least Squares (DWLS) confirmatory factor analysis, were employed to validate the 12-factor model of the survey.
Positive Outcomes Highlight Tool’s Reliability
The analysis confirmed the 12-factor structure of the NHSOPSC, although one item (A16) was removed to enhance the survey’s reliability. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranged from 0.60 to 0.82, indicating moderate reliability across the tool. While most dimensions showed strong interclass correlation coefficients (ICC), three areas—staffing, feedback and communication about incidents, and organizational learning—registered slightly lower ICC values below 0.6. Nevertheless, correlation analyses affirmed the tool’s validity in measuring patient safety culture.
Key Inferences:
- The Polish NHSOPSC effectively captures essential aspects of patient safety culture in long-term care settings.
- Removal of item A16 was crucial for improving the tool’s reliability.
- Areas with lower ICC values may require additional focus and resources to enhance reliability.
The study underscores the importance of culturally adapting and validating patient safety measurement tools to ensure their effectiveness in different national contexts. By implementing the validated Polish NHSOPSC, long-term care facilities in Poland can systematically monitor and enhance their patient safety practices, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes and safer care environments.
Healthcare administrators and policymakers should consider integrating the Polish NHSOPSC into regular assessments to identify strengths and areas for improvement within their organizations. Continuous training and support for staff in key domains such as staffing adequacy, effective communication, and organizational learning will be essential in fostering a robust patient safety culture.
As Poland embraces this validated tool, it sets a precedent for other countries to follow suit, demonstrating the critical role of tailored assessments in advancing healthcare quality and safety standards globally.
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