Purpose
This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of patient safety perception (PSP) in the relationship between the right to know (RtK) and patient participation (PP) among inpatients.
Methods
This descriptive study used a convenience sample of inpatients from three small and medium-sized hospitals in October 2023. A total of 231 inpatients completed a self-report questionnaire assessing PP, RtK, and PSP. Data were analyzed using a mediation model with the PROCESS Macro (Model 4), applying 95% bias-corrected bootstrap confidence intervals.
Results
The findings revealed significant positive correlations between PP and RtK (r=.78, p<.001) and PSP (r=.83, p<.001). Both RtK and PSP had significant effects on PP. PSP was identified as an important mediator in the relationship between RtK and PP (B=.35, boot standard error=.06, 95% confidence interval=.27–.44). The findings confirm that inpatients’ RtK is associated with improved PSP and increased PP.
Conclusion
These findings highlight the critical role of safeguarding patients’ right to information as a strategy for promoting patient safety. To ensure safe and effective care in small and medium-sized hospitals, ongoing support is essential for developing and systematically implementing patient safety education initiatives that actively involve patients.

Purpose
This study aimed to identify the main keywords, network structures, and topical themes in patient safety incident reports using text network analysis. Methods: The study analyzed patient safety incident reports from a general hospital in Seoul, covering a total of 3,576 cases reported over five years, from 2019 to 2023. Unstructured data were extracted from the text of the incident reports, detailing how the patient safety incidents occurred and how they were managed according to the six-part principles. The analysis was conducted in four steps: 1) word extraction and refinement, 2) keyword extraction and word network generation, 3) network connectivity and centrality analysis, and 4) topic modeling analysis. The NetMiner program was used for data analysis. Results: The analysis of degree, betweenness, and closeness centrality revealed that the most common keywords among the top five were "confirmation," "medication," "inpatient room," "caregiver," and "condition." Topic modeling analysis identified three main topic groups: 1) incidents caused by a lack of awareness of fall risk, 2) incidents of non-compliance with basic medication principles, and 3) incidents due to inaccurate patient identification.
Conclusion
To prevent patient safety incidents, it is necessary to promote a culture of safety in hospitals, standardize patient identification procedures, and provide basic training in medication safety and fall prevention to healthcare staff. Furthermore, empirical research on patient safety practices is necessary to encourage active participation in patient safety activities by patients and family caregivers.