Unraveling Patient Safety Culture Trends in U.S. Hospital Settings: A Yearly Retrospective Analysis

Background: Patient safety culture (PSC) is a fundamental aspect of healthcare that significantly impacts care quality and patient outcomes. Examining PSC is vital for identifying areas of improvement and implementing effective, targeted interventions. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate trends in PSC across U.S. hospitals to identify strengths and weaknesses in PSC over time. Methodology: A retrospective descriptive analysis was performed using the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture version 1.0 (HSOPSC 1.0) comparative dataset. This study comprised responses from 1601 hospitals and over 993,000 healthcare providers. Twelve dimensions of PSC, reporting events, and safety grade were analyzed using descriptive statistics to evaluate variations in several indicators, such as means and average positive, negative, and neutral response percentages, across different PSC dimensions and hospital characteristics over time. Considering this study’s exploratory nature, no corrections for multiple testing were applied. Results: The overall PSC scores averaged 65% across years, declining from 67% in 2013 to 64% in 2020, reflecting a moderately positive perception of PSC over time. Key strengths across all years included “Supervisor/Manager Expectations” and “Teamwork within Units”, while persistent weaknesses were observed in “Nonpunitive Response to Error” and “Handoffs and Transitions”. Hospitals in the Southern and Central regions reported the highest positive perceptions. Smaller hospitals and non-teaching hospitals also reported more positive perceptions of PSC. Conclusions: This study underscores the complexities of enhancing PSC and, more importantly, the challenges of sustaining a consistently positive culture over time. The findings highlight the importance of ongoing monitoring and tailored interventions to improve PSC. Promoting a “Just Culture” that prioritizes learning from errors is critical for advancing patient safety in healthcare settings, and enhancing reporting systems is required.