Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (SOPS Hospital Survey)

In 2004, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) released the Hospital Survey 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 Form

Hospital Survey 2.0—English (PDF, 273 KB; MS Word, 91 KB).
Hospital Survey—Spanish (PDF, 277 KB; MS Word, 95 KB).

Survey Items and Composite Measures

Hospital Survey 2.0 Items and Composites—English (PDF, 121 KB).
Hospital Survey Items and Composites—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, 985 KB): 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, 624.25 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 Items

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

SOPS Hospital Survey 1.0 (released 2004)

Survey Form

Hospital Survey 1.0—English (PDF, 327 KB; MS Word, 187 KB).
Hospital Survey 1.0—Spanish (PDF, 152 KB; MS Word, 116 KB).

Survey Items and Composite Measures

Hospital Survey 1.0 Items and Composites—English (PDF, 149 KB).
Hospital Survey 1.0 Items and Composites—Spanish and Description of Translation Process (PDF 241 KB).

Survey User's Guide

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.

Additional Resources

The SOPS program offers resources to assist survey users, including an Action Planning Tool, Data Entry and Analysis Tool, resource lists, research reference lists, and frequently asked questions.

Webcasts, Presentations, and Announcements

Learn more about the AHRQ-sponsored webcasts, presentations, and announcements on the SOPS program.

Technical Assistance

SafetyCultureSurveys@westat.com, 1-888-324-9749.
DatabasesOnSafetyCulture@westat.com, 1-888-324-9790.

Page last reviewed October 2019
Page originally created July 2013

Internet Citation: Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (SOPS Hospital Survey). Content last reviewed October 2019. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. https://www.ahrq.gov/sops/surveys/hospital/index.html