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Starting in February through mid-April, Military Health System (MHS) staff at military treatment facilities (MTFs) worldwide were asked to complete the 2016 MHS Patient Safety Culture Survey (Culture Survey). The purpose of the Culture Survey was to assess staff perceptions of patient safety at their MTFs. More specifically, the purpose of administering the Culture Survey in the MHS is to:
- Raise awareness about patient safety issues across the organization
- Diagnose and assess the current state of patient safety culture in all MHS facilities
- Identify strengths and areas for patient safety culture improvement
- Examine trends in patient safety culture change over time
- Provide actionable data for fostering a safer patient care environment in all MHS settings
Because obtaining these type of data is key in the MHS journey towards high reliability, staff from across the organization, including inpatient facilities, outpatient facilities and dental clinics, were invited to participate in the anonymous, web-based Culture Survey.
Next up is the results from the Culture Survey which will be coming in mid-July. Following the dissemination of the results, MHS patient safety leadership and staff will be able to leverage the soon-to-be-released MHS Patient Safety Culture Survey Quick Guide – a resource designed to highlight information to interpret Culture Survey results and develop action plans to improve patient safety culture at the MTF level. In addition, in late summer, the DoD Patient Safety Program (DoD PSP) plans to host a learning circle spotlighting the Culture Survey, information about the Culture Survey results and guidance on how to best leverage the data obtained to identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement.
The Culture Survey matters because it demonstrates our commitment to excellence and it enables MTF staff and leaders to measure their organizational culture, a key domain of change for high reliability. Please visit the DoD PSP website next month and on a regular basis to learn more about the Culture Survey results, the Culture Survey Quick Guide and the upcoming DoD PSP Culture Survey learning circle. Together, we are a learning organization that continues to grow and evolve every day so that we can ensure safe care for every patient every time.