title: Provider Perspectives on Safety in Primary Care in Albania.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the safety attitudes of specialist physicians (SPs), general physicians (GPs), and nurses in primary care in Albania.
  
  
  
  The study was cross-sectional. It involved the SPs, GPs, and nurses from five districts in Albania. A demographic questionnaire and the adapted Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ)-Long Ambulatory Version A was used to gather critical information regarding the participant's profile, perception of management, working conditions, job satisfaction, stress recognition, safety climate, and perceived teamwork.
  
  
  
  The onsite data collectors distributed questionnaires at the primary care clinics and then collected them. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the responses. The significance of mean difference among SPs, GPs, and nurses was tested using analysis of variance.
  
  
  
  Five hundred twenty-three questionnaires were completed. The concept of patient safety in relation to job satisfaction received the highest ratings. Stress recognition had low ratings. There was a high level of teamwork in SPs, GPs, and nurses. Healthcare staff agreed that it was difficult to discuss errors in their primary healthcare center. Physicians in contrast to nurses were most likely to affirm that they do not make errors in hostile situations.
  
  
  
  Errors are difficult to discuss. It was clear that primary care staff, such as physicians, never considered the likelihood of errors occurring during tense situations.
  
  
  
  Staff at primary healthcare centers are used to adverse events and errors. Despite the demand for safety improvement and the existing evidence on the epidemiology of outpatient medical errors, most research has only been conducted in hospital settings. Many patients are put at risk and some are harmed as a result of adverse events in primary care. Adequate communication and technical skills should be utilized by primary care providers (PCPs) for improvement of patient safety. The patient safety measures should include assessment of the safety attitudes of PCPs.
authors: Teaching Assistant, Department of Health Management, Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine, Tirana, Albania. jonila11@yahoo.com.
authors: Jonila Cyco
authors: JC
authors: Gabrani
authors: Senior Lecturer in Health Economics, Schools of Health and Social Care, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Surrey, UK.
authors: Wendy
authors: W
authors: Knibb
authors: Professor, Environment and Health Department, Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine, Tirana, Albania.
authors: Elizana
authors: E
authors: Petrela
authors: Associate Professor, Environment and Health Department, Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine, Tirana, Albania.
authors: Adrian
authors: A
authors: Hoxha
authors: Associate Professor, Department of Health Management, Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine, Tirana, Albania.
authors: Adriatik
authors: A
authors: Gabrani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000415:Albania; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019300:Medical Errors; D008875:Middle Aged; D061214:Patient Safety; D058007:Physicians, Primary Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D059017:Primary Care Nursing; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Albania; Safety Attitudes Questionnaire; general practitioners; medical errors; nurses; patient safety; primary healthcare; teamwork