일부 농어촌지역 치과위생사의 환자안전문화인식과 환자안전관리활동에 관한 조사

Abstract

To collect basic data that could help create good patient safety culture within dental hospitals and clinics from clinical dental hygienists personally doing diverse types of service, including reception, treatment, prevention, oral health education and counseling, and hospital management, at dental hospitals (and clinics) in rural communities, a survey using self-administered questionnaires was performed from July to August 2017 and a total of 512 legitimate questionnaires were returned and analyzed. Questionnaires consisted of questions pertaining to general and job-related characteristics, patient safety culture awareness, and patient safety management activities. To investigate the validity of the patient safety culture perception and patient safety management activity measurement tool, exploratory factor analysis was performed using the correlation matrix and the principal factor method. Cronbach’s α method was used to examine the reliability of the measurement tools. The respondents aged 25-29 had higher levels of general awareness of safety than those aged <25; the respondents aged 25-29 and those aged 30-39 showed better inter-department teamwork than those aged <25. The respondents were more likely to be married than unmarried; the college graduates had higher levels of general awareness of safety, attitudes of an immediate supervisor/manager, and inter-department teamwork than the high school graduates. The team members and the chiefs had significantly higher levels of attitudes of an immediate supervisor/manager than the others; the respondents working 20-39 hours a week and those working 40-59 hours a week had higher levels of attitudes of an immediate supervisor/manager than those working 60-79 hours a week, and the respondents were more likely to work 20-39 hours than 60-79 hours a week. The respondents earning ≥2.5 million won a month showed better intra-department teamwork than those earning <2 million won or 2-<2.5 million won a month, and the respondents earning ≥2.5 million won a month had higher levels of general awareness of safety and inter-department teamwork than those earning <2 million won a month. As for patient safety management activity by the general characteristics, the respondents in charge of radiation control were more likely to be aged ≥40 than <25; those in charge of the treatment delivery system, the security system, infection control, and radiation control were more likely to be university graduates than college graduates. As for patient safety management activity by the job-related characteristics, the respondents in charge of infection control were more likely to be chiefs than team leaders; the respondents in charge of the security system were more likely to earn 2-<2.5 million won than <2 million won a month, and those in charge of radiation control were more likely to earn 2-<2.5 million won or ≥2.5 million won than <2 million won a month. On the basis of these results, it is necessary to make efforts to devise specific safety measures, provide safety education, build a safety management system, and activate good communication within departments and to develop a plan for improving awareness of the malpractice reporting system with the objective of improving patient safety culture within dental hospitals and clinics.