Drivers of hospital safety culture quality in emerging economies: The case of Saudi Arabia

The objective of this study is to identify the elements that contribute most to the culture of quality in patient safety in Saudi Arabian hospitals. Additionally, this study seeks to establish and test a model to determine relations between the drivers of safety culture. In order to test the proposed hypotheses, a self-administered questionnaire was submitted to 110 hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Research findings presented that Saudi Arabian hospitals need to adapt a clear communication policy and respond to feedback after errors are discovered so as to create a culture of quality, safety and constant enhancement. Also, they need to adapt a policy of non-punitive response to errors, so that employees are able to learn from their mistakes and prevent similar ones in the future, without fear of the consequences of reporting an error.