title: Patient safety culture-perception of health care workers in a tertiary care hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patient safety is a discipline that emphasizes the reporting, analysis and prevention of medical errors leading to adverse events. Many patients are harmed from health care, resulting in permanent injury, increased hospital stay or even death. This study attempts to gain knowledge on the practices and attitude existing for patient safety and indicate knowledge gaps, to help improve the situation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was carried out using an anonymous, self reporting questionnaire structured to analyse the scenario of patient safety in the hospital and the attitude of 100 Healthcare workers towards safety.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the subjects included in the study, only 55% knew of the existence of an infection control policy in the institution. A large majority of respondents (94%) believed that reporting of errors will help in reducing their incidence. Top reasons for adverse events were high workload (82%) and incomplete information from patients (71%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patient safety is still in its infant stages in India, despite the emphasis by WHO. The problem areas, including high work load, lack of communication by supervisory staff and recording of 'near-miss' and adverse events with feedback, if addressed, would minimise harm to patients and cut costs.
authors.affiliation: Regional STD Teaching Training and Research Centre, Safdarjang Hospital, New Delhi, India. sumu3579@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Sumathi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muralidhar
authors.forename: Akhil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taneja
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ramesh
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003469:Culture; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D061214:Patient Safety; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers