Patient safety perceptions: A survey of Iowa physicians, pharmacists, and nurses

Background Patient safety is of concern to consumers, health professionals, policymakers, insurers, and researchers. Objective Assess the perceptions of health care providers regarding the impact of parts of the health care system on patient safety, barriers to patient safety, and strategies to improve patient safety. Methods Statewide survey mailed in May 2001. Participants rated the impact of 10 parts of the health care system on patient safety, selected barriers to patient safety that they thought should be priorities, and selected the best strategies for improving patient safety. Results Of random samples of 1310 physicians, 1310 pharmacists, and 2620 nurses licensed by the state of Iowa, 5075 providers were eligible and 2388 responded (47%). Provider education, norms and values, patient and family characteristics, and continuity of care were rated as having a major impact on patient safety by at least 70% of each provider group. A general lack of consensus exists among providers about which barriers to patient safety should be priorities and which strategies would best improve the system. However, a majority of providers agreed that educating patients about their role in health care and sharing information between providers and across settings of care are important strategies for improving patient safety. Conclusion In areas in which providers agree on the best strategies, broader, system-wide interventions that include physicians, pharmacists, and nurses in multiple settings may be implemented to improve patient safety. Health care organizations and providers must get patients more involved in their care by asking them to help define roles, design educational materials, and develop useful methods of sharing information across settings.