Table 4 Gender differences in Pharmacy Students’ Attitude Towards Patient Safety
From: Pharmacy students’ attitudes toward patient safety in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study
Key Safety Factor Items | Mean | SD | Female | Male | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean ± SD | Mean ± SD | ||||
1. Patient safety training received | |||||
1. My training is preparing me to understand the causes of medical errors | 4.44 | 1.581 | 4.7 (1.35) | 3.9 (1.84) | < 0.001 |
2. I have a good understanding of patient safety issues as a result of my undergraduate medical training. | 4.31 | 1.402 | 4.6 (1.27) | 3.8 (1.50) | < 0.001 |
3. My training is preparing me to prevent medical errors | 4.62 | 1.438 | 4.9 (1.26) | 4.1 (1.63) | < 0.001 |
2. Error reporting confidence | |||||
4. I would feel comfortable reporting any errors I had made, no matter how serious the outcome had been for the patient. | 4.58 | 1.454 | 4.9 (1.63) | 3.9 (1.54) | < 0.001 |
5. I would feel comfortable reporting any errors other people had made, no matter how serious the outcome had been for the patient. | 4.62 | 1.312 | 4.9 (1.17) | 4.2 (1.45) | < 0.001 |
6. I am confident I could talk openly to my supervisor about an error I had made if it had resulted in potential or actual harm to my patient | 4.84 | 1.288 | 5.1 (1.08) | 4.3 (1.49) | < 0.001 |
3. Working hours as error cause | |||||
7. Shorter shifts for doctors will reduce medical errors | 4.43 | 1.488 | 4.7 (1.42) | 4.0 (1.53) | < 0.001 |
8. By not taking regular breaks during shifts doctors are at an increased risk of making errors | 4.83 | 1.325 | 5.2 (1.10) | 4.2 (1.50) | < 0.001 |
9. The number of hours doctors work increases the likelihood of making medical errors | 4.78 | 1.321 | 5.1 (1.04) | 4.1 (1.54) | < 0.001 |
4. Error inevitability | |||||
10. Even the most experienced and competent doctors make errors. | 4.87 | 1.363 | 5.3 (0.95) | 4.1 (1.67) | < 0.001 |
11. A true professional does not make mistakes or errors | 4.39 | 1.586 | 4.6 (1.53) | 4.0 (1.64) | < 0.001 |
12. Human error is inevitable | 3.79 | 1.651 | 3.8 (1.68) | 3.7 (1.60) | 0.437 |
5. Professional incompetence as error cause | |||||
13. If people paid more attention at work, medical errors would be avoided | 2.18 | 1.327 | 1.9 (1.11) | 2.7 (1.55) | 0.003 |
14. Most medical errors result from careless doctors | 2.86 | 1.493 | 2.8 (1.46) | 3.1 (1.55) | 0.097 |
15. Medical errors are a sign of incompetence | 2.80 | 1.350 | 2.6 (1.33) | 3.1 (1.35) | 0.003 |
6. Disclosure responsibility | |||||
16. It is not necessary to report errors which do not result in adverse outcomes for the patient | 4.00 | 1.798 | 4.0 (1.89) | 3.9 (1.60) | 0.689 |
17. Doctors have a responsibility to disclose errors to patients only if they result in patient harm | 3.64 | 1.734 | 3.7 (1.80) | 3.6 (1.61) | 0.756 |
18. All medical errors should be reported | 5.03 | 1.350 | 5.2 (1.21) | 4.6 (1.52) | < 0.001 |
7. Team functioning | |||||
19. Better multi-disciplinary teamwork will reduce medical errors | 5.09 | 1.190 | 5.3 (0.95) | 4.6 (1.43) | < 0.001 |
20. Teaching teamwork skills will reduce medical errors | 5.13 | 1.217 | 5.5 (0.86) | 4.5 (1.52) | < 0.001 |
8. Patient involvement in reducing error | |||||
21. Patients have an important role in preventing medical errors | 4.53 | 1.336 | 4.8 (1.05) | 3.9 (1.59) | < 0.001 |
22. Encouraging patients to be more involved in their care can help to reduce the risk of medical errors occurring. | 4.91 | 1.252 | 5.2 (0.92) | 4.3 (1.56) | < 0.001 |
9. Importance of patient safety in the curriculum | |||||
23. Teaching students about patient safety should be an important priority in medical students training | 4.95 | 1.522 | 5.4 (1.11) | 4.2 (1.85) | < 0.001 |
24. Patient safety issues cannot be taught and can only be learned by clinical experience when qualified | 3.19 | 1.665 | 2.9 (1.64) | 3.8 (1.56) | < 0.001 |
25. Learning about patient safety issues before I qualify will enable me to become a more effective doctor | 4.89 | 1.495 | 5.3 (1.20) | 4.2 (1.70) | < 0.001 |