The Patient Safety Group now offering the AHRQ Culture Survey



The Patient Safety Group has released web-based, inexpensive, turnkey software for implementing and reporting on the AHRQ Culture Survey. The Joint Commission's leadership standards for 2008 requires hospitals to 'evaluate the culture of safety'. The Culture Survey serves these requirements by allowing for easy input by hospital staff and instantaneous robust comparative reporting once the Survey is completed.

The Patient Safety Group Culture Survey tool is useful for assessing the safety culture of a hospital as a whole, or for specific units within hospitals. Moreover, the survey can be used to track changes in patient safety over time and to evaluate the impact of patient safety interventions.

At the heart of the Culture Survey is the need to encourage organizations to look for ways to improve the culture of safety. This is done by creating an environment in which safety related issues are openly discussed and that every provider participates in the improvement of quality and safety in their workplace. The Culture Survey is an excellent starting point for this discussion.

The Joint Commission approved new 2008 Leadership Standards. The Leadership Standards are part of the accreditation manuals and organizations must comply with these standards to maintain accreditation. Regarding Standard LD.3.10, Culture of Safety and Quality, "Leaders create and maintain a culture of safety and quality throughout the [organization." Elements of Performance for LD.3.60 #1 "Leaders regularly evaluate the culture of safety and quality using valid and reliable tools."

The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization's commitment to meeting certain performance standards.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is the lead Federal agency charged with conducting and supporting research to improve patient safety and health care quality for all Americans. AHRQ's goal is to support a culture of safety and quality improvement in the nation's healthcare system.

The Patient Safety Group's Culture Survey is easy to administer. The program provides flexibility in how providers take the survey and how the data is organized in the database. The Survey may be taken by registered users, by use of a survey specific key, or by hand for subsequent entry or scanning. As soon as all completed Surveys are entered the reports are immediately available.

The Culture Survey is currently being offered at an introductory price of $1,000 per hospital, per year. For additional information on the Culture Survey and The Patient Safety Group, contact Jay King or visit



The Patient Safety Group now offering the AHRQ Culture Survey