Patient safety practices and associated factors among healthcare providers at South Wollo Zone primary hospitals, Northeast Ethiopia, 2025. A facility-based cross-sectional study

Abstract

Good patient safety practice is an application of evidence-based procedure, effective communication and safety culture to reduce preventable errors and adverse events in healthcare. Gloβαlly, µillioνσ oφ αδveρσe eveντσ occuρ αννuαlly, ωiτh α σigνiφicαντ βuρδeν oν loω ανδ µiδδle-iνcoµe couντρieσ. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the magnitude of patient safety practices and associated factors among healthcare providers working at South Wollo Zone primary hospitals. To assess the magnitude of patient safety practice and associated factors among healthcare providers in South Wollo Zone primary Hospitals, Northeast Ethiopia, 2025. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 419 healthcare professionals from primary hospitals in the South Wollo Zone. A simple random sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data were entered using Epi Data version 4.6 and analysed with SPSS version 26. Binary logistic regression was done to identify associated factors of patient safety practice, and variables with a p-value of less than 0.25 were entered into multivariable logistic regression to control confounders. P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. There was no multicollinearity (VIF < 10). Model fitness was checked using the Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test. In this study, the overall magnitude of good patient safety practice among healthcare professionals was 30.7% (95% CI: 26.1-35.3). In this study, taking patient safety training (AOR = 2.31, 95% CI: 1.43-3.75), willingness to report errors (AOR = 5.02- 95% CI: 3.31-8.35), participating in patient safety program (AOR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.01-3.26) and having good workplace characteristics (AOR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.10-2.56) were variables that had a significant association with good patient safety practice. The overall magnitude of good patient safety practice among health care professionals was low. In this study, taking patient safety training, willingness to report errors, participating in patient safety programs, and workplace characteristics were variables that showed a positive association with good Patient safety practice among healthcare professionals. Unsafe patient safety practices contribute to avoidable morbidity and mortality.