User's Guide

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has sponsored the development of this survey on patient safety culture, as part of its goal is to support a culture of safety and quality improvement in the Nation's health care system. This survey tool can be used to assess the safety culture of a hospital as a whole, or for specific units within hospitals, as well as to track changes in patient safety over time and evaluate the impact of patient safety interventions.

Select to download the print version of this document (PDF File, 1.6 MB [PDF Help]; Word® file, 2.5 MB [Word® Viewer]).

Contents

Preface

Part One: Survey User's Guide

Introduction
   Development of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture
   Who Should Complete the Survey
   Safety Culture Dimensions Measured in the Survey
   Modifying or Customizing the Survey
   Contents of this Survey User's Guide
Getting Started
   Determine Available Resources, Project Scope, and Schedule
   Plan Your Project
   Decide Whether To Use an Outside Vendor
   Form a Project Team
Selecting a Sample
   Determine Whom To Survey
   Determine Your Sample Size
   Compile Your Sample List
   Review and Fine-Tune Your Sample
Determining Your Data Collection Methods
   Decide How Surveys Will Be Distributed and Returned
   Establish Points-of-Contact Within the Hospital
Establishing Data Collection Procedures
   Maximize Your Response Rate
   Track Responses With or Without Identifiers
   Assemble Survey Materials
   Track Responses and Response Rates
Conducting a Web-based Survey
   Consider the Pros and Cons of Web-based Surveys
   Design and Pretest the Web-based Survey
   Develop a Web-based Data Collection Plan
Preparing and Analyzing Data, and Producing Reports
   Identify Complete and Incomplete Surveys
   Code and Enter the Data
   Check and Electronically Clean the Data
   Analyze the Data and Produce Reports of the Results
Acknowledgments
References

Part Two: Survey Materials

The Survey Form (PDF File, 243 KB [PDF Help]; Word® File, 271 KB [Word® Viewer]; Text Version)
Safety Culture Dimensions and Reliabilities
Sample Page from the Survey Feedback Report

Appendixes

Appendix A. Pilot Study for the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture: A Summary of Reliability and Validity Findings
Appendix B. Safety Culture Assessment: A Tool for Improving Patient Safety in Healthcare Organizations

AHRQ Publication No. 04-0041
Current as of September 2004

Internet Citation:

Sorra JS, Nieva VF. Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture. AHRQ Publication No. 04-0041, September 2004. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/hospculture/usergd.htm