Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Hospitalized Patients’ Perception of Medication Safety Engagement in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia(The Catholic University of America, 2025) Alenizi, Awatif; E. Johnson, Joyce; Asano, Reiko; C. McMullen, PatriciaIn the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), medication errors (MEs) during different stages of the medication use process are a significant concern, especially in inpatient hospital units. MEs place hospitalized patients at risk for adverse outcomes. Patient engagement in their medication safety (MS) behaviors may present an extra defense against inadvertent MEs caused by healthcare providers (HCPs). However, little is known about how hospitalized patients choose to engage in MS activities that may reduce or prevent MEs. This descriptive phenomenological study aimed to explore hospitalized patients’ personal perceptions of engaging in MS behaviors to reduce or prevent MEs. Using purposive sampling, the principal investigator interviewed 22 patients hospitalized in medical and surgical units in three KSA hospitals using individual audio-recorded interviews. Using thematic analysis, themes, sub-themes, and categories were identified in relationship to each research question. The key themes that emerged from participants’ experiences receiving medications were limited knowledge of medication, adequacy of procedures taken, good physician communication about the patient’s health condition, limited physician communication about medication, and differences in nurses’ communication during medication administration. The main theme that emerged from participants’ descriptions of factors that encouraged the safe receipt of medications was that changes were needed to encourage MS. The changes included establishing a unified medical record, informing patients about medication side effects, encouraging shared decision-making about medication with patients, and ensuring nurses’ commitment to giving medication on time. Participants reported having a self-perceived role in MS and MS behaviors that hospitalized patients can practice in preventing MEs. Those behaviors were providing accurate and complete information to physicians, checking medication with nurses before receiving it, familiarizing themselves with medication, and reporting side effects. Two themes uncovered factors that influenced patients’ decisions to engage in MS behaviors. These included healthcare provider-related factors, represented by a lack of patient education to practice MS and lack of information offered to patients about medications, and patient-related factors, represented by patient health condition and patient desire. The themes revealed that HCPs’ behaviors, which empowered patients to engage in their MS, were communicating well with patients, educating patients about MS behaviors, and making medication information accessible to patients. HCPs have the potential to facilitate patient engagement in those MS behaviors among hospitalized patients. Thus, this study recommended that HCPs reevaluate their personal philosophies of patient engagement that may influence their behaviors to engage patients in MS. Future research is needed to understand HCPs’ views on hospitalized patient engagement with MS in KSA, develop an instrument to assess patient engagement in MS behaviors and explore hospitalized patient empowerment regarding MS from HCP perspectives.46 0