title: Implementation of patient safety and patient-centeredness strategies in Iranian hospitals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the extent of implementation for patient safety (PS) and patient-centeredness (PC) strategies and their association with hospital characteristics (type, ownership, teaching status, annual evaluation grade) in Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study through an adapted version of the MARQuIS questionnaire, eliciting information from hospital and nursing managers in 84 Iranian hospitals on the implementation of PS and PC strategies in 2009-2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of hospitals reported to have implemented 84% of the PS and 72% of the PC strategies. In general, implementation of PS strategies was unrelated to the type of hospital, with the exception of health promotion reports, which were more common in the Social Security Organization (SSO), and MRSA testing, which was reported more often in nonprofit hospitals. MRSA testing was also more common among teaching hospitals compared to non-teaching hospitals. The higher grade hospitals reported PS strategies significantly more frequently than lower grade hospitals. Overall, there was no significant difference in the reported implementation of PC strategies across general and specialized hospitals; except for the provision of information in different languages and recording of patient's diet which were reported significantly more often by general than specialized hospitals. Moreover, patient hotel services were more common in private compared to public hospitals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite substantial reporting of PS and PC strategies, there is still room for strengthening standard setting on safety, patient services and patient-centered information strategies in Iranian hospitals. To assure effective implementation of PS and PC strategies, enforcing standards, creating a PS and PC culture, increasing organizational responsiveness, and partnering with patients and their families need more attention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Center (AMC)/University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Health Services Management, School of Health Services Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Asgar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aghaei Hashjin
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Center (AMC)/University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dionne S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Kringos
authors.affiliation: Department of Quality Improvement, Tehran Heart Center Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Jila
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Manoochehri
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Management, School of Health Services Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ravaghi
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Center (AMC)/University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Niek S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Klazinga
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006284:Health Plan Implementation; D006761:Hospitals / Q000592:standards*; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000592:standards; D006782:Hospitals, Special / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D061214:Patient Safety; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires