Perception of healthcare professionals on patient safety culture and associated factors: a qualitative study using MAXQDA software

Abstract Objective Patient safety culture is a concern in every healthcare organization, therefore, the healthcare leadership is encountering issues related to patient safety across the globe. In India, there is limited research and information about patient safety culture among healthcare stakeholders and there is relatively little qualitative research available that captures the factors of patient safety culture. Hence, this study aims to explore the perception of healthcare professionals on patient safety culture. Methods An exploratory qualitative study design was adopted in a tertiary care hospital. Structured focus group discussion (FGD) (n = 4) among healthcare professionals and two in-depth interview focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed. Two coders reviewed transcripts using the editing approach and organized codes into themes. The data were analyzed through MAXQDA 2022 (VERBI Software GmbH, Berlin, Germany), qualitative data analysis software, and descriptive analysis technique. The main codes and themes were generated using inductive and deductive method and smart coding was done. Results Overall, there were 190 unique mentions of codes related to patient safety culture from 4 FGDs. They were categorized into 6 major themes and subcodes were derived via smart coding using the MAXQDA software. “Resources and constraints” was the most prominent code, followed by management support, manpower shortage, burnout, and lack of personnel commitment. Conclusions The study highlights significant gaps in patient safety culture within the healthcare setting, with resource constraints, management support, and manpower shortages emerging as critical challenges. Burnout and lack of personnel commitment further exacerbate these issues, underscoring the need for targeted interventions.