Components of Patient Safety in Delivery Rooms: A Qualitative Study

Background Patient safety in maternity and neonatal care is a critical component of health systems. Despite various interventions, significant challenges persist in adhering to safety protocols and managing care processes in delivery rooms. This study explores the factors influencing patient safety from the perspectives of healthcare professionals engaged in mother-infant care. Methods A qualitative study was conducted in 2024 using purposive sampling with 18 healthcare professionals from Mashhad University hospitals. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis in MAXQDA 2020. The Donabedian model and the WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist served as guiding frameworks. The Graneheim and Lundman (2004) approach was applied to extract themes. To ensure rigor, techniques such as member checking, peer debriefing, reflexive memos, and multi-coder validation were employed. Results Analysis yielded 1,326 initial codes grouped into 32 categories and five overarching themes: (1) Professional Behavior, (2) Management Issues, (3) Quality of Care, (4) Medical Errors and Teamwork, and (5) High-Risk Care. Findings highlight the role of managerial support, communication, adherence to protocols, and coordination in enhancing patient safety. Identified challenges included staff shortages, equipment limitations, and inadequate training. Conclusion Multiple systemic, managerial, and professional factors impact patient safety in delivery rooms. Strengthening policy, enhancing workforce training, and improving infrastructure and interprofessional communication are essential to promote safer childbirth outcomes.