SOPS Hospital Survey

In 2004, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) released the Surveys on Patient Safety Culture® (SOPS®) Hospital Survey for providers and other staff to assess patient safety culture in their hospitals. Since then, hundreds of hospitals across the United States and internationally have implemented the survey. In 2019, AHRQ released a new version, the SOPS Hospital Survey 2.0. The original survey—Version 1.0—is still available; however, the use of Version 2.0 is encouraged.

SOPS Hospital Survey 2.0 (released 2019)

Survey Forms

Core Survey

• Hospital Survey 2.0—English (Word, 91 KB; PDF, 388 KB).
• Hospital Survey 2.0—Spanish (Word, 95 KB; PDF, 265 KB).

Survey Items and Composite Measures

• Hospital Survey 2.0 Items and Composite Measures—English (PDF, 121 KB).
• Hospital Survey 2.0 Items and Composite Measures—Spanish and Description of Translation Process (PDF, 129 KB).

Survey Guidance

• AHRQ Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture Version 2.0: User's Guide (PDF, 1 MB): The User's Guide includes information on getting started, selecting a sample, administering web-based and paper surveys, and analyzing data.
• Transitioning to the SOPS Hospital Survey Version 2.0: What’s Different and What To Expect (PDF, 775 KB); Appendixes (PDF, 624 KB): This document provides guidance for hospitals transitioning from the original SOPS Hospital Survey (Version 1.0, released in 2004) to the new version, SOPS Hospital Survey Version 2.0 (released in 2019).
• Frequently Asked Questions About the SOPS Hospital Survey 2.0.

Supplemental Item Sets

Learn more about SOPS-approved supplemental item sets for the Hospital Survey:

• Health Information Technology Patient Safety Supplemental Items for the Hospital Survey.
• Workplace Safety Supplemental Items for the Hospital Survey.
• Value and Efficiency Supplemental Items for the Hospital Survey.

SOPS Hospital Survey 1.0 (released 2004)

Survey Form

• Hospital Survey 1.0—English (PDF, 327 KB; Word, 187 KB).
• Facility Version 1.0: Replaces the term "hospital" with "facility" (PDF, 254 KB; Word 145 KB). 
• Hospital Survey 1.0—Spanish (PDF, 279 KB).

Survey Items and Composite Measures

• Hospital Survey 1.0 Items and Composite Measures—English (PDF, 149 KB).
• Hospital Survey 1.0 Items and Composite Measures—Spanish and Description of Translation Process (PDF 286 KB).

Survey Guidance

• AHRQ Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture Version 1.0: User's Guide (PDF, 1.4 MB): The User's Guide discusses issues and major decisions involved in conducting a survey and reporting the results. The Guide includes information on getting started, selecting a sample, determining data collection methods, establishing data collection procedures, conducting a web-based survey, and preparing and analyzing data, and producing reports.
• Frequently Asked Questions About the SOPS Hospital Survey 1.0.

Additional Resources

The SOPS Program offers resources to assist survey users, including an Action Planning Tool, Data Entry and Analysis Tool, Improvement Resources, SOPS Bibliography, and frequently asked questions.

Webcasts, Podcasts, and Announcements

Learn more about the AHRQ-sponsored webcasts, podcasts, and announcements on the SOPS Program.