OBJECTIVES: Approximately 2000 phase-in substances are subject to registration according to the Act on the Registration and Evaluation, etc. of Chemical Substances (KREACH), and the expected testing cost is 2.06 trillion Korean won assuming all the test data required for registration are acquired. The extent to which these enormous test costs can be reduced depends on the availability of existing data that can be used to meet the requirements of the K-REACH we examined the current availability of test data that can be used for chemical substance registration. METHODS: We analyzed the possibility of utilizing the existing test data obtained from 16 reference databases for 369 of 518 kinds of phase-in substances subject to registration that were reported in last October 2014. RESULTS: The physical and chemical properties were available for 57.1% of substances, whereas data regarding human hazards and environmental hazards were available at considerably lower rates, 8.5% and 11.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Physical and chemical properties were available for a fairly high proportion, whereas human hazards and environmental hazards were reported for considerably fewer substances.
Chemical Safety ; Hazardous Substances ; Humans ; Safety Management

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine effects of patient safety culture and burnout on safety management activities with a focus on clinical experience of nurses in general hospitals. METHODS: Self-administered questionnaires were given to nurses in a general hospital in C Province, and 107 questionnaires were used for final analysis. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 21.0 Program for t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression. RESULTS: The highest score as perceived by general hospital nurses for patient safety culture was for 'Immediate superior/Manager'(3.84), for burnout, the highest score was for 'Emotional exhaustion' (4.13), and for safety management activities, the highest score was for 'Prevention of infection' (3.96). Patient safety culture and safety management activities perceived by general hospital nurses showed significant positive correlations (r=.35 p<.001). The correlations between burnout and safety management activities perceived by the nurses showed significant negative correlations (r=-.37, p<.001). Results of hierarchical regression analysis conducted to identify factors that affect safety management activities showed that patient safety culture (β=.40 p<.001) was effective for controlling safety management activities. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate a need to build a patient safety culture that fits the characteristics and situations of various hospitals.
Hospitals, General* ; Humans ; Patient Safety* ; Safety Management*

Humans ; Pharmacies ; Singapore ; Patient Safety ; Safety Management

PURPOSE: This study was done to provide a basis for safer medical services by describing nurses' perception of patient safety culture and patient safety activities, and analyzing factors that affect patient safety management activities among nurses working in mental health hospitals. METHODS: The study participants included 208 nurses with three months or more experience and who worked in one of 14 mental health hospitals. The instruments were the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture and Patient Safety Management Activities Scale. Collected data were analyzed using mean, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and Stepwise multiple regression with the SPSS/WIN 20.0 program. RESULTS: Perceptions of patient safety culture and patient safety management activities were positively correlated. Factors influencing patient safety management activities were communication and procedures, patient safety in the field, frequency of events reported and attitude of supervisor/manager. The explanatory power for patient safety management activities of these variables was 35.0%. CONCLUSION: A systematic approach at the hospital level is needed to ensure the safety of nurses' work environment as well as to develop patient safety culture to increase patient safety management activities by nurses in mental health hospitals.
Mental Health Services ; Mental Health* ; Patient Safety* ; Safety Management

PURPOSE: The study was undertaken to identify factors affecting perception of the importance and practice of patient safety management (PSM) among hospital employees in Korea. METHODS: This study was conducted using a descriptive design and a self-report questionnaire. Two hundred and eighty employees were recruited from three hospitals using a convenience sampling method. Measures were perception of the importance, practice, and characteristics of PSM. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including t test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation analysis, and multiple regression. RESULTS: Factors affecting perception of the importance of PSM were whether hospital employees were in contact with patients while on duty, weekly working hours, education on PSM, and perceived adequacy of PSM system construction. Factors affecting the practice of PSM were perceived adequacy of work load, perceived adequacy of PSM system construction and perception of its importance. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicate a need for developing strategies to improve perception of the importance and practice of PSM among all hospital employees, and provide a reference for future experimental studies.
Humans ; Korea ; Patient Safety ; Safety Management ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate predictors of nurses' patient safety behavior during inter-hospital transfer. The study was based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). METHODS: A descriptive survey design was used. Data were collected with a self-administrated 39-item questionnaire completed by 111 nurses from a university hospital in Seoul, South Korea. The questionnaire was developed based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) guideline and included measure of self- reported past patient safety behaviors, intentions, attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral controls. Ethical approval was granted by the hospital review board. Hierarchical regression analyses were carried out. RESULTS: The average score of patient safety behavior was 4.21±0.63 (5 point scale). The TPB variables explained 49.9%of the variance in patient safety behavior. Intention and subjective norm were the most significant predictors of nurses' patient safety behavior. Attitude was related to nurses'patient safety behavior. CONCLUSION: TPB variables predicted the nurses'patient safety behavior during inter-hospital transfer of patients except for perceived behavioral controls. The results of this study suggest that better strategies for subjective norms and intentions related to patient safety behavior will be helpful in safety culture reform.
Financing, Organized ; Humans ; Intention ; Korea ; Patient Safety* ; Safety Management ; Seoul

PURPOSE: This descriptive correlation study was done to identify how perception of patient safety culture of general hospital nurses affects safety during nursing activities. Data from this study should provide information on management of patient safety as well as improvement in patient safety. METHOD: Participants in this study were 357 clinical nurses working in a general hospital in M city which had two medical evaluations. A survey was conducted to gather the data. RESULTS: The score for perception of patient safety culture of the general hospital nurses was 3.42, out of a possible 5 points, and the score for safety care activities was 3.90. There was a statistically significant positive relationship between the nurses' perception of patient safety culture and their safety care activities, Perception of patient safety culture, Supervisor/manager, communication and procedures, and frequency of accident reporting were factors that impacted significantly on safety nursing activity. CONCLUSION: The results of the study indicate that patient safety cultural perception significantly affects the safety of nursing activities and thus systematic educational strategies to increase perception should be provided to increase the level of patient safety culture. Also, other specific methods that increase the level of patient safety culture should be considered.
Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Patient Safety ; Safety Management ; Statistics as Topic

PURPOSE: There have been global initiatives and efforts over the last decade to manage patient safety. Thus aims of this study were to examine university hospital nurses' perceptions of patient safety culture and levels of safety control, and to identify factors that affect patient safety management activities. METHODS: Participants were 222 nurses who had worked as nurses for more than one year and who conducted patient safety management activities at a university hospital. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis with SPSS/WIN 20.0 computer program. RESULTS: General factors which positively impacted nurses' patient safety management were total length of work in nursing, total length of work in present hospital, and experience of a patient safety accident along with safety factors of perception of communication about accident related events and frequency of reporting accident events. These variables explained 45% of the variance in patient safety management activities. CONCLUSION: The findings from this study suggest solutions to promote patient safety management activities in hospitals and provide basic background for nursing education intervention strategies to promote safety control and patient safety management activities intended for nurses.
Education, Nursing ; Humans ; Nursing ; Patient Safety* ; Safety Management

While errors in surgical site or patient identification should not occur, they are some of the most common sentinel events. These events affect not only the patient but also the surgeon and hospital. The exact incidence of surgical errors cannot be measured because measurement depends on voluntary reporting. There have been many efforts to reduce these surgical errors. For example, Universal protocol and time-out just before surgery begins have been introduced. It is also essential to mark the surgical site in a uniform manner. Despite these processes,surgical errors still happen for many reasons. One of most common root causes is communication error. It is essential to use precise communication and to speak up if something is wrong. Hospitals and surgeons should use leadership to involve their teams in a patient safety culture. Not only the system but also this patient safety culture can reduce the incidence of surgical error.
Humans ; Incidence ; Leadership ; Medical Errors ; Patient Safety ; Safety Management

PURPOSE: This was a descriptive research study to examine the patient safety risk factors and the level of safety management of nurses in emergency service, hospitals and to analyze the relationship between the two factors. METHOD: Data for analysis were collected from 232 nurses in emergency service, hospitals in Busan and Gyeongnam from July 30 to September 7, 2013. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Therapeutic agents showed the highest risk level. The prevention of transfusion errors showed the highest performance. As the nurses were working in regional emergency medical centers and received education more than 7 sessions on patient safety, they readily recognized the riskiness of the safety risk factors. In addition, as the nurses were older than 40, married, having more education about safety and understood the incident report registration system well, they performed safety management better. There were significant correlations between perception of the patient safety risk factors and performance for safety management. CONCLUSION: Nurses in emergency service, hospitals should try to improve safety management to reduce the risk factors shown to be higher based on the results and ensure the patient safety.
Busan ; Education ; Emergencies* ; Patient Safety* ; Risk Factors* ; Safety Management*