2014 Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 2-8
Although several maneuvers had been taken to encourage in-hospital patient safety management system, little is known about development of the system. We investigated the development of patient safety management system in hospitals by two questionnaire surveys.
A self-administered anonymous questionnaire was delivered to all member hospitals of the All Japan Hospital Association (2004：2,108 hospitals, 2011：2,290 hospitals). Hospitals were classified according to function and bed size；small acute care hospital with less than 300 acute care beds, big acute care hospital with equal to or more than 300 acute care beds, and long term care hospital.
Response rates were 24.0% in 2004 and 27.6% in 2011. From 2004 to 2011, full-time (more than 80 percent of working hours are spent for safety activities) safety managers increased at big acute care hospitals, and semi-full-time (50-79 percent of working hours are spent for safety activities) safety managers increased at small acute care hospitals and chronic care hospitals. In 2011, the proportion of hospitals with full-time/semi full-time safety managers was 46.1% at small acute care hospitals, 92.9% at big acute care hospitals and 24.5% at long term care hospitals. Activities relating to patient safety were improved by full-time safety managers in acute care hospitals and by semi-full-time managers in long term care hospitals. No improvement was observed in small acute care hospitals with semi-full-time safety managers.
It is necessary to consider and design support systems to promote the assignment of full-time/semi full-time safety managers at small acute care hospitals and long term care hospitals, to develop effective training program for semi-full-time safety managers, to accelerate practical use of reported events, or to develop a system to reduce adverse events.
