Μελέτη της Κουλτούρας Υγείας και Ασφάλειας σε Τμήματα Ιοντιζουσών και Μη Ιοντιζουσών Ακτινοβολιών Ιατρικών Μονάδων

Abstract

Radiology in health sector is constantly evolving. Nevertheless working with radiation poses staff, patients and the environment at risk. The study of radiographers’ safety culture attitude and the correlation with other factors aims to highlight the profession points that need improvement.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors related to safety culture attitudes in ionizing and no ionizing radiation departments of medical units. Radiographers from Greece in the period January-February 2021 were asked to answer the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ-short version), 23 selected questions from the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS), 26 selected questions from the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), 3 questions related to their health control and 5 questions to assess their job satisfaction. The questionnaires were posted on radiographers’ official page on social network Facebook in the form of Google Forms and analyzed using the statistical package SPSS v.22.0. The results showed 134 radiographers answered the questionnaires. 70,9% of the sample were women, the average age was 36,6 years old, 53% were employed in the public sector, 55,2% worked in Athens, 73,1% stated that there’s no monitoring health program at their jobs and 47% claimed not very satisfied from their work. In total, negative safety culture score was found (SAQ 66,8 with positive culture limit >75). The lowest scores were recorded in the subscales “Stress” 52, “Working Conditions” 54,4, “Perception of Management” 55,3 indicating low degree of recognition of stressor in job performance, inadequacy in supervision and training, poor communication and non-supportive environment from superiors or perhaps lack of a strong leadership model. The mean score of job satisfaction (71.8) was indicative of dissatisfaction notably the nature of work (15.8) and the supervision of senior (13.8). High rating of “Decision Authority” (34,5) in combination with the low rating of “Psychological Demands” (15,8) of the JCQ may justify the low scores of the low “stress” scores of the participants. Overall job satisfaction as well as “decision authority” were positively correlated with safety culture (with all 5 subcategories of SAQ) and negatively with “stress” (p <0.05). Training on safety issues and the existence of a medical monitoring program were positively related to safety culture (excluding stress), and to the “safety climate”, “perceptions of management” and “working conditions” (p <0.05). Employees in public hospitals had lower score in 4 categories of SAQ (team and safety climate, perceptions of management, working conditions), pointing out weaknesses of the national health system. “Job satisfaction” was also positively related to supervisors’ support (p <0.05).

In conclusion, the present study highlighted the need to improve safety culture of radiographers, especially in public hospitals. The introduction of health control programs for radiographers and the ongoing education and training in health and safety, as well as the strengthening of the leadership model with appropriate encouragement, support and more autonomy in decision-making are expected to have beneficial effects on both health, safety and commitment of both the employee and the organization.