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Safety
S
The U.S. Health Department's Agency
for Healthcare Research and Quality
(AHRQ) launched a database in
September to capture and measure
how surgery center staffs feel about
the patient safety culture at their
facilities. The database will collect
staff responses to the Ambulatory
Surgery Center Survey on Patient
Safety Culture (osmag.net/RXb8dS).
Contributing to the database is
completely optional. Voluntarily shar-
ing your staff's responses with AHRQ,
however, will give you access to an
individual facility report that compares your results to the nation-
al database. AHRQ provides a free tool for entering the survey
data using Microsoft Excel. The tool automatically generates
tables and graphs to display the survey results in an easy-to-read
and understandable format. To request AHRQ's data entry and
analysis tool and for information about submitting your survey
results, send an email to
databasesonsafetyculture@westat.com.
"The ASC Association worked with ARHQ on the development
and pilot-testing of the culture of safety survey tool," says ASCA
Chief Executive Officer William Prentice, "and we remain a strong
proponent of it being used by ASCs to assure that staff are always
focused on patient safety." — Daniel Cook
Take the ASC Survey on Patient Safety Culture
DATA COLLECTION
• HUDDLE UP Don't assume everyone on your
staff is in agreement on how well your team
communicates about patient safety.
Kecia
Norling,
RN,
MBA,
CNOR,
CASC
