Psychological safety perception in community pharmacies: A randomized controlled trial of agile interventions

Abstract

Background

Agile coaching, recognized as a more advanced methodology compared to education, is hypothesized to yield superior outcomes in enhancing psychological safety perception.

Objective

Investigating the effectiveness of agile interventions versus no intervention on psychological safety perception, this randomized controlled trial aimed to clarify outcomes.

Methods

The survey sample consisted of 54 licensed pharmacists, with each group comprising 18 participants: E1 underwent Agile Coaching, E2 underwent Agile Education, and C served as the control. After six weeks, psychological safety perception was measured using a validated scale, and statistical analyses, including the Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test, were conducted.

Results

The group undergoing agile coaching showed the most substantial enhancements in psychological safety perception compared to others. Mann-Whitney U test revealed no significant difference in psychological safety perception between E1 and E2 groups before (Z = −0.938, p = 0.348) and after intervention (Z = −1.269, p = 0.204). Significant differences were observed between E1 and C both before (Z = −2.693, p = 0.007) and after intervention (Z = −1.414, p = 0.157). Significant differences were found between E2 and C before (p = 0.038) but not after intervention (p = 0.962).

Conclusions

The findings suggest that agile coaching could be an effective intervention for enhancing psychological safety in organizational settings, particularly in community pharmacies. Further research is warranted to explore long-term effects and generalize findings to broader contexts.