Assessment of patient safety culture in Oman; a national survey (ORIGINAL ARTICLE)
Dublin Core
Title
Assessment of patient safety culture in Oman; a national survey (ORIGINAL ARTICLE)
Subject
patient safety, patient safety culture, Oman, primary care, public hospital
Description
Background: Measures of patient safety culture among healthcare workers can provide important information about the structure and process
of healthcare systems as well as helping to identify areas in need of improvement.
Aim and objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the current state of patient safety culture in Omani healthcare institutions. Specific
objectives were to provide up-to-date information on patient safety culture across all healthcare institutions under the Ministry of Health and to
identify priority areas for improvement.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using the Hospital Survey of Patient Safety Culture developed by the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality (AHRQ). The online survey targeted all healthcare workers in different healthcare institutions in Oman. SPSS version 25 was
used to analyze the results according to the AHRQ’s user guide. Results were compared against similar studies in the country, the region, and
across the world.
Results: A total of 1551 employees from 11 governorates completed the survey. The highest dimension of patient safety culture was teamwork,
and the lowest was related to staffing and work pace.
Conclusion: Overall, the results were modest and comparable with those from other high-income countries. However, some of the dimensions
scored less positively in comparison with previous studies in Oman. Despite showing positive attitude, several areas in need of improvement
were identified. Urgent areas for improvement include staffing and work pace, which are universal concerns, as well as error reporting and response
to it, both of which significantly impact the safety culture. There should be focus on training in all aspects of safety to improve the culture especially
with the challenge of high turnover of staff. Specific training is required in communication skills especially when dealing with families and when
disclosing errors. Similar survey must be conducted regularly to identify areas of improvement and encourage the positive safety attitudes. Despite
having teamwork as the highest positive response, it is recommended to continuously monitor and enhance it as it remains a critical aspect of
patient safety culture. This can be done through regular training and fostering of nonpunitive culture and creating a supportive work environment.
Disparities across organizations highlight the importance of targeted interventions learning from high performers and fostering a culture that
encourages error reporting and learning from mistakes.
of healthcare systems as well as helping to identify areas in need of improvement.
Aim and objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the current state of patient safety culture in Omani healthcare institutions. Specific
objectives were to provide up-to-date information on patient safety culture across all healthcare institutions under the Ministry of Health and to
identify priority areas for improvement.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using the Hospital Survey of Patient Safety Culture developed by the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality (AHRQ). The online survey targeted all healthcare workers in different healthcare institutions in Oman. SPSS version 25 was
used to analyze the results according to the AHRQ’s user guide. Results were compared against similar studies in the country, the region, and
across the world.
Results: A total of 1551 employees from 11 governorates completed the survey. The highest dimension of patient safety culture was teamwork,
and the lowest was related to staffing and work pace.
Conclusion: Overall, the results were modest and comparable with those from other high-income countries. However, some of the dimensions
scored less positively in comparison with previous studies in Oman. Despite showing positive attitude, several areas in need of improvement
were identified. Urgent areas for improvement include staffing and work pace, which are universal concerns, as well as error reporting and response
to it, both of which significantly impact the safety culture. There should be focus on training in all aspects of safety to improve the culture especially
with the challenge of high turnover of staff. Specific training is required in communication skills especially when dealing with families and when
disclosing errors. Similar survey must be conducted regularly to identify areas of improvement and encourage the positive safety attitudes. Despite
having teamwork as the highest positive response, it is recommended to continuously monitor and enhance it as it remains a critical aspect of
patient safety culture. This can be done through regular training and fostering of nonpunitive culture and creating a supportive work environment.
Disparities across organizations highlight the importance of targeted interventions learning from high performers and fostering a culture that
encourages error reporting and learning from mistakes.
Creator
Heba Ibrahim Awadh, Yahya M. Al-Farsi, Sathiya Murthi Panchatcharam
Source
DOI:https://doi.10.1093/ijcoms/lyaf016
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Date
15 October 2025
Contributor
Sri Wahyuni
Format
PDF
Language
English
Type
Text
Files
Collection
Citation
Heba Ibrahim Awadh, Yahya M. Al-Farsi, Sathiya Murthi Panchatcharam, “Assessment of patient safety culture in Oman; a national survey (ORIGINAL ARTICLE),” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed February 21, 2026, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/11309.