The objectives were to describe Patient Safety Culture (PSC) in a regional network of public hospitals, according to the perceptions of health professionals, and analyze the influence of socio-professional factors. A survey was conducted with 1,113 professionals from eight Spanish hospitals, using a questionnaire that explores 12 dimensions of PSC. Perceptions were described through the Percentage of Positive (PPR) and Negative Responses (PNR) by dimension, and the association of factors was analyzed using multivariate linear regression. The dimension "Teamwork within the same Unit" had the highest PPR (73.5), and "Staffing" the highest PNR (61). The variables "Service" (Pharmacy, Surgical Center) and "Profession" (Nurses) were significantly associated to positive assessments. Thus, strategies to improve PSC should prioritize rational distribution of human resources, and take advantage of the positive perceived relationship within Units. Moreover, pharmaceutical and surgical services, as well as nurses should probably be benchmarked by other services and professionals.
Safety Management; Public Hospitals; Organizational Culture; Patient Safety
