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AHRQ Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture

The safety of resident care is critical to the quality of care in nursing homes. There is a growing recognition of the importance of establishing a culture of safety. Achieving a culture of safety requires an understanding of the values, beliefs, and norms about what is important in an organization and what attitudes and behaviors related to patient safety are expected and appropriate.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) made available to the public the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPS). In response to nursing homes interested in a survey that focuses on safety culture in their organizations, AHRQ sponsored the development of the Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture. The new survey is designed for nursing home staff and asks for their opinion about the resident safety culture in the nursing home.

The survey can be used to assess the status of resident safety culture in a nursing home, to raise staff awareness about resident safety issues, and to evaluate the impact of resident safety improvement initiatives. It includes 42 survey items measuring 12 different dimensions individualized to meet the unique nursing home setting. Furthermore, the survey can be used to establish a baseline and track changes in resident safety culture over time.

The results of the survey will help the nursing home understand which areas represented in the survey that achieved a culture of resident safety and which ones need improvement.

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