Quantitative Analysis Assignment: Hospital Survey on Patient Safety
Question
Task
You are supposed to prepare a quantitative analysis assignment evaluating the questionnaire to measure the attitude of hospital employees regarding patient safety.
Answer
Introduction
The main concern of this quantitative analysis assignment is to evaluate the importance of patient safety which is quite essential in terms of the overall quality of the hospital. There are various elements that can be essential in this regard. If the authority of the hospital is not quite attentive towards the safety and health factors of the patients, it can mean that the patients can face some critical issues in terms of their personal health and safety issues (Apuke, 2017). In this analysis, the safety and security aspects of the patients will be analysed from the data that would be recorded from the responses of the participants of an interview process. The information that would be gathered for the respondents will be analysed in a brief manner to unearth the overall trends in this process.
Research Background
Badr, AlFadalah, & El-Jardali (2017), have opined that the safety factor of the patients in any hospital can be measured efficiently through the analysis of the mindsets and the approaches of the employees of the hospital. To utilise this issue, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) conducted a reach in the US department of health and human services. The research process contains all the necessary information about the activities of the patients in the hospital and the method that are used by the hospital staff to manage the safety of the patients.
Collection of the Data
The collection of the necessary datasets and information of the research will be conducted by the responses of the employees of the hospital. Specifically, a primary data collection process was used in the process of the study (Reis, Paiva, & Sousa, 2018). The respondents that were chosen by the researcher in this process were mainly the employees and staff of the hospital (Galvão et al., 2018). The main objective of the survey was to improve the overall process of safety management of the patients and its dynamic improvement in the near future.
Analysis of the Data
Section A: This section of the data analysis process will focus on the operational area of the employees of the hospital.
Table 1:
|
Description of Hospital Units |
Percentage of Response |
|
No specific units |
13% |
|
Medicine (Non-surgical) |
5% |
|
Surgery |
3% |
|
Obstetrics |
4% |
|
Paediatrics |
9% |
|
Emergency Department |
7% |
|
Intensive care unit |
8% |
|
Psychiatry/mental health |
1% |
|
Rehabilitation |
2% |
|
Pharmacy |
9% |
|
Laboratory |
2% |
|
Radiology |
11% |
|
Anesthesiology |
6% |
|
Others |
20% |
Table 1 mainly analyses the units that the respondents of the survey process work in. It can be observed that there are furious units that are operational in the hospital (Bates, & Singh, 2018). Along with that, it can also be observed that a lot of employees work in no specific department of the hospital.
Table 2:
|
|
Description of Responses |
||||
|
Elements of the Work Culture |
Strongly Disagree |
Disagree |
Neither Agree nor Disagree |
Agree |
Strongly Agree |
|
People support one another in the unit |
20% |
46% |
05% |
16% |
13% |
|
We have enough staff to handle the workload |
13% |
07% |
55% |
13% |
12% |
|
The teamwork of the workplace is proper |
16% |
38% |
09% |
23% |
14% |
|
People treat each other’s with respect |
19% |
21% |
21% |
6% |
14% |
|
Staff work in longer work hours |
08% |
19% |
11% |
26% |
36% |
|
Patient safety is being improved |
19% |
18% |
02% |
20% |
41% |
|
Temporary staff is used for patient care |
22% |
28% |
03% |
19% |
28% |
|
The mistakes of staff are held against with |
16% |
26% |
07% |
29% |
22% |
Table B mainly analyses the work culture of the hospital. The elements of the work culture have been analysed through the response of the employees of it. It can be observed that the elements of patient safety are not quite proper in the hospital to date (Badr, AlFadalah, & El-Jardali, 2017). However, the management is trying to improve the safety factors of the hospital in a robust manner. Along with that, it can also be observed that the mindset of the management of the hospital is quite dominating upon the employees.
Section B: Attributes of the Supervisor/Manager
Table 3:
|
Supervisor/manager Work Process |
Strongly Disagree |
Disagree |
Neither Agree nor Disagree |
Agree |
Strongly Agree |
|
The supervisor/manager appraises good work |
16% |
31% |
9% |
23% |
21% |
|
Suggestions are considered for patient safety |
19% |
26% |
7% |
27% |
21% |
|
Supervisor/manager insists patient safety |
33% |
22% |
11% |
19% |
15% |
|
Patient safety problems are overlooked |
20% |
16% |
12% |
33% |
19% |
Table 3 mainly analyses the attributes that are related to the work process of the managers and supervisors of the hospital. It can be observed from the analysis of the response of the employee that the managers and supervisors bear an autocratic managerial style in the workplace (Simamora, 2020). That, in turn, hampers the balance of the workplace and the working ability of the employees.
Section C: Communication Abilities
Table 4:
|
Communication Aspects in the Workplace |
Never |
Rarely |
Sometimes |
Most of the Time |
Always |
|
Event feedbacks are provided to the employees |
20% |
46% |
05% |
16% |
13% |
|
Staff are free to speak up about harmful elements in patient care |
33% |
22% |
11% |
19% |
15% |
|
Errors are reported in the unit |
22% |
28% |
03% |
19% |
28% |
|
Staff can question the actions of higher authority |
16% |
31% |
9% |
23% |
21% |
|
Staff are afraid to question the activities of the management |
20% |
46% |
05% |
16% |
13% |
The analysis of table 4 is mainly related to the communication channels of the hospital and their efficiencies. It can be observed from the analysis of the table that the communication process of the hospital should be improved. Also, the feedback of the employees should be essentially analysed in this regard (Sturm et al., 2019). The activity will ensure that the management will become able to mitigate all the issues that are presently being impactful in the organisation.
Section D: Frequency of Occurred Events
Table 5:
|
Event Processes |
Never |
Rarely |
Sometimes |
Most of the Time |
Always |
|
Report of Events |
22% |
28% |
03% |
19% |
28% |
|
Harmless events are reported to the management |
33% |
22% |
11% |
19% |
15% |
|
Potential events are reported to the management |
22% |
28% |
03% |
19% |
28% |
The evaluation of the response that has been observed in table 5 signifies that the management of the hospital should be sceptical towards the maintenance of the reports of the events (Apps, 2020). The events of the hospitals signify the scenarios that can be identified as harmful for the patients.
Section E: Patient Safety Analysis
Table 6:
|
Is the overall grade of the safety of the patients is proper? |
|
|
Responses |
Percentage of Responses |
|
Excellent |
16% |
|
Very Good |
12% |
|
Acceptable |
20% |
|
Poor |
21% |
|
Failing |
31% |
The analysis of table 6 of the research shows that the patient safety models of the hospital are failing in the present period. Over 31% of the respondents have opined in favour of this.
Section F: Qualities of the Hospital
Table 7:
|
Qualities and Abilities of the Hospital |
Strongly Disagree |
Disagree |
Neither Agree nor Disagree |
Agree |
Strongly Agree |
|
Work climate is maintained that promotes patient safety |
31% |
09% |
10% |
20% |
30% |
|
Coordination of the units is proper |
16% |
38% |
09% |
23% |
14% |
|
Transferring of patients is smooth |
33% |
22% |
11% |
19% |
15% |
|
Loss of information during shift changes |
21% |
9% |
4% |
16% |
44% |
|
The safety of the patients is a top priority |
20% |
46% |
05% |
16% |
13% |
|
Shift changes are problematic for patients |
22% |
28% |
03% |
19% |
28% |
Table 7 of the research signifies that there are certain operational elements of the hospital that are being problematic for the hospital. The quality and the abilities of the hospital are being problematic for the health and safety facts of the patients.
Section G: Number of Events Reported in the Hospital
Table 8:
|
Response Options |
Percentage of Responses |
|
No Events Reported |
16% |
|
1 to 2 Reported |
9% |
|
3 to 5 Reported |
11% |
|
6 to 10 Reported |
13% |
|
11 to 20 Reported |
21% |
|
Over 21 Events |
30% |
Table 8 focuses on the number of events that were reported in the hospital. It can be argued that the events that were reported on the hospital may not include all the issue that was really observed (Apps, 2020). It can be observed that in most of the months, 21 or more events were reported in the hospital. That means the safety modules of the hospital should improve in the long term to ensure the safety of the patients.
Conclusion
It can be easily derived from the analysis of the response data that the hospital has various scopes of improving the safety and security factors of the patients. The overall operational process of the hospital is crippled with various confusions and mismanagement issues that can be harmful for the overall organisation. The analysis also signifies that the hospital will need to improve various issues regarding the safety and health aspects of the patients.
References
Apps, J. R. (2020). Research in practice: fitting it together. Archives of Disease in Childhood-Education and Practice. https://ep.bmj.com/content/early/2020/04/30/archdischild-2019-318689?utm_term=consumer&utm_content=012021&utm_campaign=usage&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=trendmd
Apuke, O. D. (2017). Quantitative research methods: A synopsis approach. Kuwait Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 33(5471), 1-8. https://www.arabianjbmr.com/pdfs/Arabian%20Journal%20of%20Business%20and%20Management%20Review
%20(Kuwait%20Chapter)_KD_VOL_6_11/5.pdf
Badr, H. E., AlFadalah, T., & El-Jardali, F. (2017). Towards promoting patient safety practices: Baseline assessment of patient safety culture in three private hospitals. International Journal of Healthcare Management. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Talal_Alfadhalah/publication/320496991_Towards_promoting_patient_safety_
practices_Baseline_assessment_of_patient_safety_culture_in_three_private_hospitals/links/5e4d5bb1a6fdccd965b11c90/
Towards-promoting-patient-safety-practices-
Baseline-assessment-of-patient-safety-culture-in-three-private-hospitals.pdf
Bates, D. W., & Singh, H. (2018). Two decades since to err is human: an assessment of progress and emerging priorities in patient safety. Health Affairs, 37(11), 1736-1743. https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2018.0738
Galvão, T. F., Lopes, M. C. C., Oliva, C. C. C., Araújo, M. E. D. A., & Silva, M. T. (2018). Patient safety culture in a university hospital. Revista latino-americana de enfermagem, 26. https://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0104-11692018000100330&script=sci_arttext
Reis, C. T., Paiva, S. G., & Sousa, P. (2018). The patient safety culture: a systematic review by characteristics of hospital survey on patient safety culture dimensions. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 30(9), 660-677. https://academic.oup.com/intqhc/article/30/9/660/4998840
Simamora, R. H. (2020). Learning of Patient Identification in Patient Safety Programs Through Clinical Preceptor Models. Medico Legal Update, 20(3), 553-556. http://www.ijop.net/index.php/mlu/article/download/1457/1329
Sturm, H., Rieger, M. A., Martus, P., Ueding, E., Wagner, A., Holderried, M., ... & WorkSafeMed Consortium. (2019). Do perceived working conditions and patient safety culture correlate with objective workload and patient outcomes: A cross-sectional explorative study from a German university hospital. PLoS One, 14(1), e0209487. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0209487
