Introduction: Hospital boards have a main role in the governance of hospitals as accountability for the patient safety finally rests with the boards. Recurrent problems regarding patient safety have raised the worry about the boards' ability to accomplish their role with appropriate effect.
Objective: The objective of this research was to explore the relation between different hospital board practices and patient safety outcome.
Methods: The study was conducted in Alexandria, Egypt. Survey data was collected from 90 hospitals' chairperson or chief executive officer using interview questionnaire that included data about board practices during the year 2019. Patient safety data (postoperative mortality, postoperative wound infection, readmission rate, patient fall% and medication errors %) during the same period was collected from hospital records. Survey was conducted during the period from January to July 2020.
Results: Effective board practices (use of patient safety reporting measures, members received training in relation to patient safety, presence of quality subcommittee, prioritization of safety issues and the time spent for discussing safety issues) had significant relation with all patient safety indicators.
Conclusion: Hospital board practices have direct impact on the patient safety. Boards that work on their development should focus on improving their practices regarding patient safety.