What tool is used to measure organizational safety culture in healthcare settings?

The Safety Attitudes Questionnaire is a validated tool specifically designed to assess the safety culture within healthcare organizations. It evaluates various aspects of safety culture such as teamwork, communication, and perceptions of management, which are essential for understanding how these elements affect patient safety and care quality. By focusing on the attitudes and perceptions of healthcare staff, the questionnaire provides valuable insights into the underlying factors that contribute to a safe working environment and patient care.

In contrast, while patient feedback forms, staff performance reviews, and quality assurance audits collect important data, they do not directly measure safety culture. Patient feedback forms typically focus on the patient's experience and satisfaction rather than the internal perspectives of the healthcare team. Staff performance reviews are more focused on individual employee output and do not holistically address the collective safety attitudes within an organization. Quality assurance audits assess compliance with regulations and standards rather than the cultural aspects of safety. Thus, the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire stands out as a crucial tool for measuring and improving organizational safety culture in healthcare settings.