AHRQ report finds teamwork and followup as strengths of medical offices but work pressure and pace are problematic

Teamwork and patient care tracking/followup are strengths for medical offices, but work pressure and pace are areas for improvement, according to new results from the AHRQ Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture. Most (84 percent) medical office staff feel they have good teamwork among staff and providers and that the office follows up with patients appropriately (82 percent). But only 46 percent of staff rated the work pressure and pace in their office positively.

The first edition of the Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture: 2012 User Comparative Database Report provides results from 23,679 staff from 934 U.S. medical offices. The report helps medical offices compare their patient safety culture scores with other medical offices. It contains detailed comparative data on the survey by number of providers, specialty, ownership, region, and by staff position.

The survey, which can be used by medical offices, health systems, and researchers to assess the opinions of medical office staff about patient safety issues and overall quality of care, can be accessed at https://www.ahrq.gov/qual/patientsafetyculture/mosurvindex.htm. The survey measures 10 areas of patient safety culture as well as overall ratings on quality and patient safety.