An overview of patient safety climate in the VA.
Measurement of institutional safety culture is recommended by AHRQ in order to target patient safety efforts. The Veterans Administration (VA) has been a leader in promoting patient safety efforts, and in this study, researchers surveyed employees at 30 VA hospitals regarding the safety climate, using a previously validated survey. While the patient safety climate was well-regarded in general, survey results revealed significant differences in perceived safety culture between clinical units and management level, a problem noted in previous research.