Table 2. Perceptions of disclosure of patient safety incidents.
| Categories | Item | Mean±SD |
|---|---|---|
| Open disclosure across harm levels | In the event of a medical error causing serious harm, healthcare providers should notify the patients and families. | 3.70±0.48 |
| In the event of a medical error causing minor harm, healthcare providers should notify the patients and families. | 3.42±0.60 | |
| In the event of a medical error causing no harm, healthcare providers should notify the patients and families. | 3.00±0.79 | |
| Open disclosure across situations | Patient safety incidents should be disclosed even when the healthcare providers determine that the patient or families would not fully understand the explanation. | 3.43±0.59 |
| Patient safety incidents should be disclosed even when the healthcare providers determine that the patients or families would not want to know about the incident. | 3.20±0.70 | |
| Patient safety incidents should be disclosed even when the healthcare providers determine that the patients or families would not find out about the incident. | 3.34±0.64 | |
| Patient safety incidents should be disclosed even when the healthcare providers determine that it would not be beneficial for the patient or families to find out about the incident. | 3.20±0.69 | |
| Open disclosure of patient safety incidents should be determined based on the severity of the medical error.* | 2.28±0.93 | |
| Patient safety incidents should be disclosed based on whether informing the patient or families about the medical error would benefit them.* | 2.25±0.89 | |
| Justification of open disclosure |
I think apologizing for a patient safety incident is important in my values. | 3.65±0.54 |
| It is necessary to disclose patient safety incidents because the patient would want to know about patient safety incidents. | 3.66±0.51 | |
| Open disclosure of patient safety incidents is needed even if it causes loss and disadvantage for the hospital and healthcare providers. | 3.56±0.54 | |
| Healthcare providers have the responsibility to inform the patients and families about their or their team’s errors. | 3.59±0.51 | |
| Negative consequences of open disclosure | Patients and families will react negatively to disclosure of patient safety incidents.* | 2.44±0.78 |
| Open disclosure of patient safety incidents will increase medical litigation.* | 2.16±0.72 | |
| Open disclosure of patient safety incidents will damage the reputation of the healthcare providers.* | 2.71±0.78 | |
| Healthcare providers will be subject to disciplinary actions by healthcare institutions if they disclose patient safety incidents.* | 2.32±0.71 | |
| Healthcare providers will be subject to criticism by their colleagues if they disclose patient safety incidents.* | 2.70±0.77 | |
| Positive consequences of open disclosure | Patients and families will have more trust in healthcare providers who disclose patient safety incidents. | 3.18±0.74 |
| They are more likely to recommend to others around them healthcare providers who disclose patient safety incidents. | 3.16±0.73 | |
| They are more likely to return for treatment to healthcare providers who disclose patient safety incidents. | 3.17±0.73 | |
| Healthcare providers who disclose patient safety incidents are more likely to provide better services. | 3.42±0.63 | |
| Open disclosure of patient safety incidents will lead healthcare providers themselves to be more interested in patient safety issues. | 3.58±0.52 | |
| Open disclosure of patient safety incidents will reduce the healthcare providers’ sense of guilt. | 2.89±0.80 | |
| Facilitators of open disclosure | Open disclosure of patient safety incidents requires higher ethical awareness by the healthcare providers. | 3.63±0.51 |
| Education and training programs are needed for open disclosure of patient safety incidents. | 3.62±0.52 | |
| Healthcare institutions need personnel to support open disclosure of patient safety incidents. | 3.52±0.58 | |
| Healthcare institutions need a positive culture of patient safety that supports open disclosure of patient safety incidents. | 3.62±0.52 | |
| It is necessary to provide guidelines for open disclosure of patient safety incidents. | 3.64±0.51 | |
| It is necessary to establish apology laws to protect healthcare providers. | 3.46±0.62 |
* Reverse-coded items