Speaking up for patient safety: Exploring the experiences of the Ghanaian radiographer

Tetteh, Isabella 2023. Speaking up for patient safety: Exploring the experiences of the Ghanaian radiographer. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Background Although the overall importance of ‘speaking-up’ has gained traction across healthcare, empirical research about the topic is relatively under-developed in radiography practice and in healthcare systems such as Ghana or other resource-constrained settings. Speaking-up policies in African countries have, to date, been targeted mainly at financial corruption in the public sector, with little evidence of their effectiveness in health systems. Consequently, this thesis explores the experiences of Ghanaian diagnostic radiographers in speaking-up about patient safety concerns with the potential benefit of improving patient outcomes. Study design A qualitative-exploratory approach was adopted for this study. Purposive sampling was employed for sites and participants to enhance maximum variation and national coverage. Data were gathered using one-to-one semi-structured interviews and analysed following Braun & Clarke’s 6-step thematic analysis framework. Findings 3 broad themes emerged: understanding and perceptions of speaking-up; workplace barriers/facilitators of speaking-up; current strategies in response to barriers/facilitators and future directions. Theme 1 demonstrated a lack of formal knowledge on speaking-up among Ghanaian radiographers and the profound influence of Ghanaian culture/beliefs on speaking-up perceptions. Workplace barriers such as the non-existence of a national policy/guidelines were noted. The study established the critical role of policy, education/training, and socio-cultural interventions in the promotion of a nationally recognised speaking-up framework for radiography in Ghana. Conclusion Ghana’s radiography workforce is challenged by factors such as increased workload due to workforce shortages, improper professional regulation, and more loudly, a lack of voice. A radiography and a healthcare workforce lacking in voice is poorly positioned to improve workers’ safety and patient safety. It is crucial for national and regional policymakers and individual organisations to implement speaking-up interventions alongside staff training and monitoring while recognising Ghana’s unique contextual factors and speaking-up barriers as it could enhance Ghana’s ambitions to deliver a high-quality healthcare system and UHC in the future.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Healthcare Sciences
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	12 January 2024
Last Modified:	12 Jan 2024 16:18
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/165431

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