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Patient Safety Calculator

Comprehensive organizational patient safety assessment based on WHO Global Patient Safety Action Plan, AHRQ Patient Safety Culture Survey, Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals, and IHI safety frameworks.

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Critical Disclaimer: Educational Use Only

This patient safety assessment tool is for educational, quality improvement planning, and organizational self-reflection only. It does NOT constitute: official patient safety certification, Joint Commission survey readiness assessment, legal compliance documentation, or professional quality improvement consultation. Patient safety programs require multidisciplinary teams including quality officers, patient safety specialists, frontline clinicians, and leadership. This tool provides general guidance but cannot replace comprehensive safety culture assessments (e.g., AHRQ Hospital Survey), root cause analyses, or formal quality improvement methodologies.Serious safety events require immediate action per institutional policies and may require reporting to regulatory bodies. Engage qualified patient safety professionals for organizational improvement initiatives.

Assessment Methodology

Framework Basis

This assessment integrates multiple evidence-based patient safety frameworks:

  • WHO Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021-2030: Seven strategic objectives for harm reduction
  • AHRQ Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture: 12 dimensions of safety culture
  • Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals: Evidence-based requirements for accreditation
  • IHI Framework for Safe, Reliable, and Effective Care: High-reliability principles
  • TeamSTEPPS: Team strategies and tools to enhance performance and patient safety

Scoring System

Weighted scoring across 7 patient safety dimensions:

  • Leadership & Culture (20%): Executive engagement, just culture, psychological safety
  • Medication Safety (20%): Reconciliation, CPOE/CDS, high-alert med protocols
  • Surgical Safety (15%): WHO checklist, site verification, time-outs
  • Infection Prevention (15%): CLABSI bundles, hand hygiene, surveillance
  • Communication (15%): Structured handoffs, team huddles, SBAR/I-PASS
  • ID & Falls (10%): Two-identifier verification, fall prevention programs
  • Reporting & Learning (5%): Incident reporting, RCA, action plans

Interpretation Guidelines

  • 80-100 (Excellent): Best-practice patient safety; high-reliability organization characteristics
  • 60-79 (Good): Strong safety systems with opportunities for targeted improvement
  • 40-59 (Moderate): Safety vulnerabilities requiring focused improvement initiatives
  • 0-39 (Significant Risks): Substantial safety gaps; immediate improvement program needed

Each question includes methodology notes citing evidence from safety science literature and regulatory standards.

Questions answered: 0 / 16

Leadership & Safety Culture (Weight: 20%)

1. Does organizational leadership actively prioritize and visibly champion patient safety?

Leadership & Safety Culture (Weight: 20%)

2. Is there a just culture that encourages error reporting without fear of punishment?

Leadership & Safety Culture (Weight: 20%)

3. Are staff encouraged and able to speak up about safety concerns without fear of reprisal?

Medication Safety (Weight: 20%)

4. Is medication reconciliation conducted at all transitions of care?

Medication Safety (Weight: 20%)

5. Is CPOE with clinical decision support (CDS) fully implemented?

Medication Safety (Weight: 20%)

6. Are high-alert medications managed with standardized protocols and double-checks?

Surgical & Procedural Safety (Weight: 15%)

7. Is the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist (or equivalent) consistently used?

Surgical & Procedural Safety (Weight: 15%)

8. Is surgical site marking and verification performed before all procedures?

Infection Prevention (Weight: 15%)

9. Are evidence-based central line insertion and maintenance bundles fully implemented?

Infection Prevention (Weight: 15%)

10. Is hand hygiene compliance routinely monitored and above 90%?

Communication & Handoffs (Weight: 15%)

11. Are structured handoff tools (SBAR, I-PASS) used consistently?

Communication & Handoffs (Weight: 15%)

12. Are multidisciplinary team huddles or briefings conducted daily?

Patient Identification (Weight: 5%)

13. Is two-identifier verification performed before all medications, procedures, and blood transfusions?

Falls Prevention (Weight: 5%)

14. Are evidence-based fall prevention protocols implemented for at-risk patients?

Incident Reporting (Weight: 5%)

15. Is there a robust incident reporting system with high reporting rates?

Incident Reporting (Weight: 5%)

16. Are root cause analyses (RCA) conducted for serious safety events with action plans?

Complete all 16 questions for comprehensive patient safety evaluation and evidence-based recommendations.