A new Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) report finds that 80% of hospital staff feel there is strong teamwork within units, but only 45% of hospital staff have positive perceptions of handoffs and transitions across hospital unites. The sixth annual edition of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture: 2012 User Comparative Database Report looks at 1,128 US hospitals and 567,703 staff. The report enables hospitals to compare their patient safety culture scores with other US hospitals.
The AHRQ report contains detailed comparative data for various hospital characteristics, including bed size, teaching status, ownership and control, and region, as well as respondent characteristics, such as work areas, staff positions, and interaction with patients. The report provides hospitals with a means to assess opinions among hospital staff about patient safety issues, medical error, and event reporting, with measurements in 12 areas, or composites, of patient safety culture.
For US-based hospitals interested in contributing information to the database, they are encouraged to submit data between May 15 and June 15.
Source: US Department of Health & Human Services
