title: Social capital among healthcare professionals: A prospective study of its importance for job satisfaction, work engagement and engagement in clinical improvements.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Social capital can be an important resource to facilitate the needed improvements in quality of care and efficiency in hospitals.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the importance of social capital (recognition, vertical trust, horizontal trust and reciprocity) for job satisfaction, work engagement and engagement in clinical improvements.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cohort design was used.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intensive care units and emergency, surgical and medical units at five Swedish hospitals with ongoing development of their processes of care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthcare professionals (physicians, registered nurses, assistant nurses) at five Swedish midsize hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants answered a questionnaire at two occasions, NN=1602 at baseline and NN=1548 at one-year follow-up. Mean hospital response rate was 53% at baseline and 59% at follow-up. Univariate, multivariate and logistic regression analyses were performed, and the prospective analysis was based on 477 respondents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Social capital was associated with healthcare professionals' general work engagement and job satisfaction. Analysis showed positive associations between all measured aspects of social capital and engagement in clinical improvements of patient safety and quality of care. The prospective analysis showed that increased social capital predicted increased job satisfaction, work engagement and engagement in clinical improvements of patient safety.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social capital is strongly related to job satisfaction and active engagement with clinical improvements. The findings contribute to a deeper knowledge of social capital as a predictive factor that influences patient safety and health among healthcare staff.
authors: School of Technology & Health, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: marcus.stromgren@sth.kth.se.
authors: Marcus
authors: M
authors: Strömgren
authors: School of Technology & Health, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Eriksson
authors: Medical Management Centre, Department of Learning, Informatics, Management, and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Bergman
authors: School of Technology & Health, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden; Faculty of Caring Science, Work Life and Social Welfare, University of Borås, Sweden.
authors: Lotta
authors: L
authors: Dellve
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D009726:Nurses; D009728:Nursing Assistants; D061214:Patient Safety; D010820:Physicians; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012044:Regression Analysis; D066270:Social Capital; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden
keywords: Clinical improvement; Healthcare; Job satisfaction; Patient safety; Quality of care; Social capital; Work engagement