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Background Improving patient safety (PS) is critical to optimizing healthcare delivery. There is a need to develop curricula or incorporate PS concepts in health professionals' (HPs) education, in both theoretical and practical training. Consequently, there is a need to measure the perception of HPs regarding various PS competencies imparted to them during their training. The Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey (H-PEPSS) is a tool that measures HPs' self-reported PS competence and was designed to reflect six sociocultural areas central to PS. The tool has been validated in Canada but not in India. We did a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and psychometric validation of the H-PEPSS in the Indian context. Methods The sample comprised 240 HPs. We used the maximum likelihood estimation method on AMOS V20 (SPSS Inc.) to carry out a CFA of the tool. We used the normed fit index, Tucker-Lewis index, comparative fit index, standard root mean square residual, root mean square residual and root mean square error of approximation to evaluate the model fit. Internal consistency and reliability of the six factors of the model were examined using Cronbach's alpha. Convergent validity of the model was examined using average variance extracted and composite reliability. Discriminant validity was examined using the Fornell and Larcker criterion and the heterotrait-monotrait method. Results The results indicate a good fit. The H-PEPSS was found to be reliable and valid for assessing PS competencies among HPs. Comparison of the results with the results of the Canadian setting confirmed external validity. Conclusion The 16-item H-PEPSS has good psychometric properties for use in the Indian context. The 23-item HPEPSS was found to be reliable and valid for assessing PS.

Background: Patient safety cannot be considered in isolation when organizational factors, both active and latent, influence patient outcomes., Methods: We did a cross-sectional mixed methods study using a convergent parallel design at a tertiary care public sector hospital in Hyderabad, Telangana (i) to qualitatively investigate the nature and determinants of patient safety incidents occurring in the hospital; (ii) to quantify the perception of hospital staff regarding factors affecting patient safety from an organizational perspective; and (iii) to triangulate the results to highlight areas in need of improvement., Results: The most common factors affecting patient safety were situational factors, working conditions and latent organizational factors including communication systems. Despite the relatively poor knowledge of paramedical staff regarding patient safety incidents, they perceived innovation and flexibility, outward focus, reflexivity, quality, pressure to produce, performance feedback and effort to be significantly higher compared to the heads of departments and clinical faculty. The strength of the dimensions: integration, involvement, training, welfare, supervisory support in the hospital was weak as perceived by all categories of staff., Conclusion: There is a need to build team work, improve trust and communication between various departments, invest more in training, and provide supervisory support along with structural and process improvements in issues such as drug procurement and developing patient-friendly physical environment., Competing Interests: None