Answer ID 375   |    Published 04/27/2007 07:16 AM   |    Updated 12/11/2012 12:37 PM

The Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture measures staff perceptions of patient safety culture in their work area/unit, as well as perceptions about patient safety culture in the hospital as a whole. The following 12 dimensions of patient safety culture are included, with each dimension measured by 3 or 4 survey questions:

1. Communication openness.
2. Feedback & communication about error.
3. Frequency of events reported.
4. Hospital handoffs & transitions.
5. Hospital management support for patient safety.
6. Nonpunitive response to error.
7. Organizational learning-continuous improvement.
8. Overall perceptions of safety.
9. Staffing.
10. Supervisor/manager expectations & actions promoting patient safety.
11. Teamwork across hospital units.
12. Teamwork within units.

There are also two other questions that ask about:

1. The patient safety "grade" the respondent would assign their work area/unit.
2. The number of events the respondent has reported in the last 12 months.

The Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture emphasizes resident safety issues. It includes 42 survey items measuring 12 dimensions. Nine of the 12 survey dimensions are similar to those appearing in the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPS), although the items included in the dimensions are different. Three HSOPS dimensions were dropped from the nursing home survey: Frequency of event reporting, Teamwork across units, and Teamwork within units. Three new dimensions were added: Compliance with procedures, Training and skills, and Teamwork.

The dimensions in the nursing home survey are:

1. Communication openness.
2. Compliance with procedures.
3. Feedback and communication about incidents.
4. Handoffs.
5. Management support for resident safety.
6. Nonpunitive response to mistakes.
7. Organizational learning.
8. Overall perceptions of resident safety.
9. Staffing.
10. Supervisor expectations and actions promoting resident safety.
11. Teamwork.
12. Training and skills.

In addition, the nursing home survey includes seven background demographic questions and two overall rating questions:

1. Would they tell friends that this is a safe nursing home for their family?
2. How would they rate this nursing home on resident safety?

The Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture emphasizes patient safety and health care quality issues. The survey includes 51 items measuring 12 dimensions. Six of the survey dimensions (Communication Openness, Communication About Error, Organizational Learning, Overall Perceptions of Patient Safety and Quality, Owner/Managing Partner/Leadership Support for Patient Safety, and Teamwork) are similar to dimensions in the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture, although the items are different in the two surveys. The remaining six survey dimensions are unique to the medical office survey with items that focus specifically on issues related to patient safety or quality of care in medical offices.

The dimensions in the medical office survey are:

1. Communication about error.
2. Communication openness.
3. Information exchange with other settings.
4. Office processes and standardization.
5. Organizational learning.
6. Overall perceptions of patient safety and quality.
7. Owner/managing partner/leadership support for patient safety.
8. Patient care tracking/followup.
9. Patient safety and quality issues.
10. Staff training.
11. Teamwork
12. Work pressure and pace.

In addition, the medical office survey includes three items about respondent background characteristics and two overall rating questions:

1. How they would rate this medical office on five different areas of health care quality (patient centered, effective, timely, efficient, and equitable)?
2. How they would rate this medical office on patient safety?

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