Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture

In response to medical offices interested in a survey that focuses on patient safety culture in their offices, AHRQ sponsored the development of the Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture. This survey is designed specifically for outpatient medical office providers and staff and asks for their opinions about the culture of patient safety and health care quality in their medical offices.

Medical Office Survey Toolkit

Frequently Asked Questions

Survey Form

Survey Items and Composites

Survey User's Guide

The User's Guide provides a general overview of the issues and major decisions involved in conducting a survey and reporting the results. The Guide includes information on getting started, selecting a sample, determining data collection methods, establishing data collection procedures, conducting a Web-based survey, and preparing and analyzing data, and producing reports.

  • Medical Office Survey User's Guide (PDF Version [ PDF file - 1.11 MB] )

Comparative Database

Many medical offices using the AHRQ Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture have expressed interest in comparing their results to other medical offices. In response, AHRQ has established the Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture Comparative Database. This database is a central repository for survey data from medical offices that have administered the AHRQ patient safety culture survey instrument.

Additional Resources

Action Planning Tool (PDF File, 368.7 KB; Word File, 111.77 KB)

This tool was designed primarily for users of the AHRQ Surveys on Patient Safety Culture and is intended for use after your organization administers the survey and analyzes the results. It provides step-by-step guidance to help survey users develop an action plan to improve patient safety culture.

Research Reference List

The purpose of this research reference list is to provide citations for articles published on the AHRQ safety culture surveys. It includes references on the use of the surveys; psychometric analyses; analyses linking the survey to outcome data; reviews of instruments; and international studies.

Success Stories from the AHRQ Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture (Webinar)

A webinar conducted on September 16, 2014, provides users with highlights from the 2014 Medical Office User Comparative Database Report. Users shared how their organizations have successfully used the AHRQ Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture and improved their patient safety culture over time.

Using the Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture (Webinar)

A webinar conducted on April 29, 2011, provides users with an overview of the development and use of the survey. In addition, the Oregon Practice-based Research Network shares lessons learned. Results from the 2010 Preliminary Comparative Results are discussed as well as new analyses of patient safety culture perceptions between physicians and other medical office staff, and how medical office characteristics like size, ownership, specialty, and Health Information Technology (Health IT) implementation affect the survey results.

Page last reviewed November 2016
Page originally created August 2013
Internet Citation: Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture. Content last reviewed November 2016. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/quality-patient-safety/patientsafetyculture/medical-office/index.html