Even if a hospital has a high patient safety culture score, as determined by employee surveys, it does not mean the hospital has seen improvement in infection rates, according to a study published in BMJ: Quality & Safety.
Researchers from the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor and the Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System compared hospitals' Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture scores with catheter-associated urinary tract infection and central line-associated bloodstream infection rates, using data from hospitals participating in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality CAUTI and CLABSI cohorts.
While CAUTI and CLABSI rates fell in participating hospitals (47 percent decline for CLABSI and 23 percent decline for CAUTI), there was no significant association between CLABSI or CAUTI rates and scores on the HSOPS survey at baseline or over time, the researchers found.
"Unexpectedly, the data from these collaboratives showed no association of better infection rates for hospitals with better safety culture scores," said Jennifer Meddings, MD, the study's lead author. "These data suggest that either the infection rates were improved by improving other aspects of care than safety culture such as improving skills in catheter use, or that these surveys simple do not capture safety culture well."
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