How to Engage Patients in Achieving Patient Safety: A Qualitative Study from Healthcare Professionals' Perspective

All parties involved in health care, including patients and their families/caregivers play a significant role to achieve patient safety. Furthermore, patient engagement (PE) has not been adequately implemented to achieve safe healthcare in Indonesia, despite the introduction of the patient-centered care paradigm. This study aims to explore healthcare professionals' (HCPs) perspectives on PE and its application technique. A qualitative study was conducted in the chronic wards of a faith-based private hospital in Yogyakarta Province, Indonesia. Four focus group discussions among 46 HCPs, followed by 16 in-depth interviews, were carried out. Furthermore, the verbatim transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis. The result showed four main themes, including PE as a strategy for achieving safe healthcare, factors affecting its implementation, the need for comprehensive strategies to engage the patients, and their roles in safety efforts. Furthermore, the implementation of PE can be enhanced by encouraging healthcare professionals (HCPs) to play proactive roles in empowering recipients. To achieve PE, "partnership culture" and the removal of potential barriers as well as determining factors, must be established. This requires a high-level commitment, organizational support with a top-down approach, and integration into healthcare systems. In conclusion, PE is essential for patient safety and can be enhanced by strengthening organization support, integrating into the healthcare system, improving HCPs' roles, and empowering patients and caregivers to overcome potential barriers.