Clinical Research Directory

DECIDE Just Culture: Conceptualization of Clinical Error

The main objective of this project is to extend the principles of Just Culture in primary care, hospitals and social-health centers, providing new information on key elements in the social and professional conceptualization of the human factor (fallibility) in safety incidents. A mixed design combining cross-sectional observational studies based on qualitative (focus groups and consensus conference) and quantitative (survey) methodology with an experimental study or randomized clinical trial with three arms will be used. The methodology is deployed in four stages or phases of the study: 1. Focus Group technique (qualitative research) with 70 primary care health professionals, 80 hospital health professionals, 70 health professionals from socio-health centers, 72 health managers and 80 social leaders to identify key elements of the subjective norms and social influence processes that define the conceptualization of a clinical error, including impact of gender bias and other stereotypes in relation to blame. 2. Online survey of a stratified random sample of 1,255 managers, middle managers and professionals from primary care, hospitals and social-health centers to analyze the barriers and facilitating factors for the implementation of Just Culture. 3. Randomized experimental study with three arms (84 subjects in each) and control group to determine the effectiveness of two interventions aimed at modifying attitudes, beliefs and behaviors in relation to honest mistakes, based on the Theory of Dissonance and Reasoned Action, both in social leaders and professionals. 4. Application of AGREE II and Consensus Conference technique (33 experts) to elaborate a guide of recommendations in order to implement Just Culture in primary care, with the involvement of all actors (social and professional level) that will be transferred to practice.