title: Exploring behavioural determinants relating to health professional reporting of medication errors: a qualitative study using the Theoretical Domains Framework.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Effective and efficient medication reporting processes are essential in promoting patient safety. Few qualitative studies have explored reporting of medication errors by health professionals, and none have made reference to behavioural theories. The objective was to describe and understand the behavioural determinants of health professional reporting of medication errors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a qualitative study comprising face-to-face, semi-structured interviews within three major medical/surgical hospitals of Abu Dhabi, the UAE. Health professionals were sampled purposively in strata of profession and years of experience. The semi-structured interview schedule focused on behavioural determinants around medication error reporting, facilitators, barriers and experiences. The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF; a framework of theories of behaviour change) was used as a coding framework. Ethical approval was obtained from a UK university and all participating hospital ethics committees.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data saturation was achieved after interviewing ten nurses, ten pharmacists and nine physicians. Whilst it appeared that patient safety and organisational improvement goals and intentions were behavioural determinants which facilitated reporting, there were key determinants which deterred reporting. These included the beliefs of the consequences of reporting (lack of any feedback following reporting and impacting professional reputation, relationships and career progression), emotions (fear and worry) and issues related to the environmental context (time taken to report).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These key behavioural determinants which negatively impact error reporting can facilitate the development of an intervention, centring on organisational safety and reporting culture, to enhance reporting effectiveness and efficiency.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Sir Ian Wood Building, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, AB10 7GJ, UK.
authors.forename: Mai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alqubaisi
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Sir Ian Wood Building, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, AB10 7GJ, UK.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tonna
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Sir Ian Wood Building, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, AB10 7GJ, UK.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Strath
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Sir Ian Wood Building, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, AB10 7GJ, UK. d.stewart@rgu.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stewart
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001519:Behavior; D005239:Fear; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000523:psychology*; D061214:Patient Safety; D024382:Professional Role; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012056:Reinforcement, Social; D012308:Risk Management / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014479:United Arab Emirates
keywords: Error reporting; Medication errors; Qualitative; Theoretical Domains Framework