Am I safe here? Improving patients' perceptions of safety in hospitals.
This descriptive survey of more than 600,000 patients discovered that close to 90% rated their degree of safety and security in the hospital as good or very good. Factors associated with higher safety ratings included being an older man or younger woman, staying in a private room, having a shorter length of stay, and receiving greater amounts of information. The authors discuss strategies that hospitals might take to improve their patients' perception of safety, which include greater attention to communication practices, particularly regarding medications and hand washing.