A Likert-Type scale for evaluating the “bottom line” of patient safety

Abstract

The formally reported number of adverse events may be open to ambivalent interpretation – actual higher prevalence of adverse events versus a patient safety culture supporting reporting and learning. Many methods appearing in the literature that are not based on reporting systems struggle for adequately assess the precise level of prevalence of adverse events. Confronting this challenge in patient safety research, we suggest evaluating the perceived state of “almost no adverse events” in the ward, by using a short Likert- type scale we developed for this purpose. Some evidence for its reliability and validity are presented using two samples (99 head nurses, and 383 nurses). As was expected, leadership had a significant direct effect on the measured state of “almost no adverse events” as well as an indirect effect mediated successively by psychological safety, and safety behavior.