AMDA Foundation - Research Network Conference to Address Patient Safety Culture Research

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Vol XXVII, Sep `06

Research Network Conference to Address Patient Safety Culture Research

Vol XXVIII, Sep `06

Patient safety culture. Does this exist in nursing facilities? And does it make a difference? Steven Handler, MD, MS, Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh and AMDA Foundation Research Network member, will be addressing this at a Research Network Fall Conference session this October. In addition to presenting some data from a small study on the topic, Handler will talk about why it is important to measure safety culture and how to instill this in facilities.

"Based on my study, the culture in nursing homes seems less supportive of safety than it does in hospitals. However, further study on this topic is important to gain more broad data," said Handler. He added, "I believe that many factors have an effect on patient safety culture, including facility size, staff turnover rates, leadership roles, and so on."

After this topic is studied more thoroughly, observed Handler, the next step could be the development of educational materials and tools to help facilities develop a patient safety culture. "We need to accomplish a couple of things. We need to see if culture affects safety and if education makes a difference," he noted.

If we change patient safety culture, does it improve quality of care? "I think so," stated Handler, "but I'm not sure. We need to find an answer to this. At least one hospital-based study has shown positive results. It also has suggested that patient safety culture improves staff outcomes as well. This field of study is promising but still in its infancy."

As an active Research Network member, Handler is excited about being asked to speak at the conference. "Members want to know what research is happening and how they can do similar studies or get involved in ongoing studies. I hope that I can inspire people about this topic and about research in general," he said.