Evaluation of Patient Safety in Primary Health Care Using the WHO Patient Safety-friendly Primary Care Framework: An Experience From a Low-income and Middle-income Country.

OBJECTIVE

Despite the importance of Patient Safety (PS), it has been neglected in primary health care (PHC). Therefore, this study aimed to assess PS standards in PHC using the World Health Organization (WHO) Patient Safety-friendly Primary Care Framework (PSFPC).

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted in comprehensive health centers (CHCs) in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran, in 2024. The Persian version of the PSFPC framework was used. Cluster sampling was employed, and data were collected through self-assessment, document review, observation, and interviews with staff. The collected data were reported descriptively.

RESULTS

Five CHCs were assessed by staff. The average compliance with PS standards was 70.38%. The highest compliance was in safe, evidence-based clinical practice (47.2%), while the lowest was in lifelong learning (14.0%). The average compliance with critical, core, and developmental criteria was 63.32%, 28.42%, and 52.22%, respectively. All CHCs were classified as "nonevaluable."

CONCLUSIONS

Based on a preliminary literature review and the researchers' best knowledge, this study was the first to assess PS in PHC using the WHO approach and tool. Further studies in this field and in other countries could help to highlight the issue of PS in PHC.