What Do Family Doctors Think About Patient Safety Culture in the Republic of Moldova?

Abstract

The Romanian version of the Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture (MOSOPSC) of the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has been applied for the first time in primary care centers in the Republic of Moldova. The aim was to assess the current status of patient safety culture and then identify strengths of it and areas for improvement. A cross-sectional study was carried out as part of the IRIS-2 international project on patient safety culture, which also involved Romania and Italia. Data collection in the Republic of Moldova started in February and ended in June 2020. The survey was distributed on paper and via email to a convenience sample of 820 family doctors and 93% of them volunteered to complete and return it. Half of the respondents were from the capital of the country (Chişinău). The 38 items of the section C-F of the survey were grouped in 10 composites measuring the patient safety culture. Percent positive response was computed for each item and dimension. The percent positive responses (PPRs) per item ranged from 35% to 100% and per composite from 41% to 97%. The highest developed patient safety culture areas (PPRs > 75%) were: Organizational Learning (97%), Teamwork (95%), Patient Care Tracking/Follow-up (90%), Staff training (87%), Overall Perceptions of Patient Safety and Quality (87%), Office processes and standardization (81%), Communication About Error (81%), Owner/Managing Partner/Leadership Support for Patient Safety (78%). The most critical area was “Work pressure and pace” (41%), while “Communication Openness” (74%) area was between. In conclusion, although most composites measuring patient safety culture from the point of view of family doctors in the Republic of Moldova showed areas with high development, there is room for further improvement, especially for the “Work pressure and pace” area.