# Assessment of patient safety culture among healthcare employees in major Eswatini public hospitals

## TL;DR

This study found that patient safety culture in Eswatini's public hospitals is weak, with low scores in staffing and safety reporting systems.

## Contribution

The study provides the first assessment of patient safety culture in Eswatini's public hospitals using a validated survey tool.

## Key findings

- The average patient safety culture score was 43%, with 'teamwork within units' highest at 75% and 'staffing' lowest at 25%.
- All 11 patient safety culture composites scored below the 2018 AHRQ benchmarks.
- Hospitals lacked robust safety reporting systems, hindering efforts to reduce medical errors.

## Abstract

This primary study assessed the patient safety culture in five major public government hospitals in Eswatini. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among hospital employees using the validated Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC) developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The average positive patient safety culture (PSC) score was 43%. The highest-rated composite was “teamwork within units” (75%), while the lowest-rated was “staffing” (25%). All 11 PSC composites scored below the 2018 AHRQ survey benchmarks. These findings underscore the need for significant improvements in PSC across Eswatini’s hospitals. Additionally, the study revealed a lack of robust patient safety reporting systems in the five hospitals, which hinders efforts to address safety issues and reduce medical errors.