psychometric properties of the Farsi version of "hospital survey on patient safety culture" In Iran's hospitals

If you want to start a long journey towards patient safety, you should create a good culture of patient safety among employees alongside structural interventions. The first step in doing so is the assessment of current culture in the organization using different tools. One of the most commonly used instruments of measuring patient safety culture is Hospital Survey of Patient Safety culture [HSOPS]. The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of Farsi version of this questionnaire for the first time in Iran's hospitals. We purposefully selected four hospitals out of seven general Tehran University of Medical Sciences affiliated hospitals. Then a 420 sample of staff of these hospitals were taken randomly. Staff was asked to complete the questionnaire. Confirmative factor analysis, correlation coefficient, Cronbach's alpha were employed in statistical analyses. Factor loadings for almost all questions were acceptable. Factors jointly explained 77.8% of the variance in the responses. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was between 0.57 and 0.8. The study revealed that over 70% of employees were working at their hospitals more than 40 hours a week and also more than half of the employees were not reporting errors. Farsi version of HSOPS with 12 dimensions and 42 questions is a valid and reliable questionnaire to measure patient safety culture for the first time in Iran hospitals. This tool will be helpful in tracking improvements and in heightening awareness on patient safety culture in Iran

[Biological and enviornmental monitoring of lead and exposure in the automobile industry]

Soldering is one of the most common activities in metal industries. Lead is used in soldering process and has considerable toxic effects. The aim of this study, therefore, was biological and environmental monitoring and effects of exposure to lead in soldering unit workers at an automobile industry. In order to evaluate biological and environmental exposure to lead, a case-control study was accomplished on 60 workers in soldering unit [case group] and 60 workers in official unit [control group]. Demographical and medical information were gained by a questionnaire. Blood samples were collected and analyzed using the NIOSH 8003 method and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy [AAS] respectively and air samples were collected and analyzed using the NIOSH 7300 method and Inductively Coupled Atomic Emission Spectroscopy [ICP-AES] respectively. The obtained results shown that, with increasing age and work experience, the blood lead level is also increased. [p=0.033] [p=0.003] In exposed group, the blood lead mean value was significantly higher than the control group [p-value <0.001]. Prevalence of digestive, nervous, respiratory, dermal, kidney disorders, anemia diseases, and disorder in bone metabolism in exposed group were higher than the control group. Amount of lead level was negative correlated with hemoglobin [r=-0.287; p=0.026] and hematocrit [r=-0.336; p=0.009] but there was no significant correlation between air and blood lead level. The blood lead level may be increased in lead exposure due absence of personal protective equipment and poor personal hygiene. Increased lead level in blood can be resulted to various diseases and decrease in hemoglobin and hematocrit levels in blood