DECIDE Just Culture: Conceptualization of Clinical Error

Overview

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.

Researchers will compare with a control group the effectiveness of two interventions to modify attitudes, beliefs and behaviors in relation to honest mistakes, based on the theory of dissonance and reasoned action, in both social and professional leaders. The design of intervention A will consist of presenting information that generates dissonance with subjects' attitudes and beliefs about clinical errors. The dissonance will be intensified by experiential experiences through simulations that provide convincing information that supports the idea of accepting honest errors as learning opportunities within the framework of a Just Culture. The psychoeducational intervention B based will consist of the presentation of testimonials, narratives, statements and analysis of everyday clinical practice situations that promote a change in so-called "subjective norms" (a person's beliefs about whether significant people in their life approve or disapprove of a specific behavior) in relation to the acceptance of honest errors (including learning and improving healthcare from error).