SOPS Additional Resources

Action Planning Tool

The Action Planning Tool (PDF, 369 KB; Word, 112 KB) assists users of the AHRQ Surveys on Patient Safety Culture (SOPS^®) to develop an action plan for improving patient safety culture in their organizations.

Data Entry and Analysis Tools

These tools use Microsoft^® Excel^® to assist with entering survey data. The tools then create tables and graphs to display survey results. There is a tool for each of the SOPS surveys and supplemental items. To request one of the tools, email DatabasesOnSafetyCulture@westat.com and specify which survey tool you would like.

Improvement Resources

These documents contain links to practice resources to improve patient safety culture and patient safety in healthcare organizations.

• Hospital: Improving Patient Safety in Hospitals: A Resource List for Users of the AHRQ Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture:
  • Version 2.0 (PDF, 551 KB).
  • ​Version 1.0 (PDF, 519 KB).
• Medical Office: Improving Patient Safety in Medical Offices: A Resource List for Users of the AHRQ Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture (PDF, 441 KB).
• Nursing Home: Improving Patient Safety in Nursing Homes: A Resource List for Users of the AHRQ Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture (PDF, 576 KB).
• Community Pharmacy: Improving Patient Safety in Community Pharmacies: A Resource List for Users of the AHRQ Community Pharmacy Survey on Patient Safety Culture  (PDF, 440 KB).
• Ambulatory Surgery Center: Improving Patient Safety in Ambulatory Surgery Centers: A Resource List for Users of the AHRQ Ambulatory Surgery Center Survey on Patient Safety Culture (PDF, 650 KB).
• Diagnostic Safety: Improving Diagnostic Safety in Medical Offices: A Resource List for Users of the AHRQ Diagnostic Safety Supplemental Items (PDF, 326 KB).
• Health IT Patient Safety: Improving Health Information Technology Patient Safety: A Resource List for Users of the AHRQ Health Information Technology Item Set (PDF, 2 MB).
• Workplace Safety: Improving Workplace Safety in Hospitals: A Resource List for Users of the AHRQ Workplace Safety Supplemental Items (PDF, 652 KB).
• Value and Efficiency: Improving Value and Efficiency in Hospitals and Medical Offices: A Resource List for Users of the AHRQ SOPS Value and Efficiency Supplemental Items (PDF, 897 KB).

SOPS Bibliography

The purpose of this bibliography is to provide citations for articles published on the AHRQ safety culture surveys and supplemental items. It includes references on the use of the surveys; psychometric analyses; how to improve patient safety culture, analyses linking the survey to outcome data; analyses linking composite measures with site and/or respondent characteristics, reviews of instruments or studies; and international studies.

Impact Case Studies on the SOPS Surveys

AHRQ’s collection of Impact Case Studies highlights successes of organizations using AHRQ’s evidence-based tools and resources, including the SOPS Surveys. Learn more about these success stories for the SOPS Surveys.

Frequently Asked Questions

This document provides answers to a wide range of questions about the SOPS program as well as the specific survey instruments. Users can search the FAQs by topic.