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Validation of the Dutch language version of the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ-NL).

Publication ,  Journal Article
Haerkens, MH; van Leeuwen, W; Sexton, JB; Pickkers, P; van der Hoeven, JG
Published in: BMC Health Serv Res
August 15, 2016

BACKGROUND: As the first objective of caring for patients is to do no harm, patient safety is a priority in delivering clinical care. An essential component of safe care in a clinical department is its safety climate. Safety climate correlates with safety-specific behaviour, injury rates, and accidents. Safety climate in healthcare can be assessed by the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ), which provides insight by scoring six dimensions: Teamwork Climate, Job Satisfaction, Safety Climate, Stress Recognition, Working Conditions and Perceptions of Management. The objective of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Dutch language version of the SAQ in a variety of clinical departments in Dutch hospitals. METHODS: The Dutch version (SAQ-NL) of the SAQ was back translated, and analyzed for semantic characteristics and content. From October 2010 to November 2015 SAQ-NL surveys were carried out in 17 departments in two university and seven large non-university teaching hospitals in the Netherlands, prior to a Crew Resource Management human factors intervention. Statistical analyses were used to examine response patterns, mean scores, correlations, internal consistency reliability and model fit. Cronbach's α's and inter-item correlations were calculated to examine internal consistency reliability. RESULTS: One thousand three hundred fourteen completed questionnaires were returned from 2113 administered to health care workers, resulting in a response rate of 62 %. Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed the 6-factor structure fit the data adequately. Response patterns were similar for professional positions, departments, physicians and nurses, and university and non-university teaching hospitals. The SAQ-NL showed strong internal consistency (α = .87). Exploratory analysis revealed differences in scores on the SAQ dimensions when comparing different professional positions, when comparing physicians to nurses and when comparing university to non-university hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: The SAQ-NL demonstrated good psychometric properties and is therefore a useful instrument to measure patient safety climate in Dutch clinical work settings. As removal of one item resulted in an increased reliability of the Working Conditions dimension, revision or deletion of this item should be considered. The results from this study provide researchers and practitioners with insight into safety climate in a variety of departments and functional positions in Dutch hospitals.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

BMC Health Serv Res

DOI

EISSN

1472-6963

Publication Date

August 15, 2016

Volume

16

Issue

a

Start / End Page

385

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Translations
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Safety Management
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Psychometrics
  • Patient Safety
  • Netherlands
  • Medical Staff, Hospital
  • Male
  • Language
 

Citation

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Haerkens, M. H., van Leeuwen, W., Sexton, J. B., Pickkers, P., & van der Hoeven, J. G. (2016). Validation of the Dutch language version of the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ-NL). BMC Health Serv Res, 16(a), 385. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1648-3
Haerkens, Marck Htm, Wouter van Leeuwen, J Bryan Sexton, Peter Pickkers, and Johannes G. van der Hoeven. “Validation of the Dutch language version of the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ-NL).BMC Health Serv Res 16, no. a (August 15, 2016): 385. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1648-3.
Haerkens MH, van Leeuwen W, Sexton JB, Pickkers P, van der Hoeven JG. Validation of the Dutch language version of the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ-NL). BMC Health Serv Res. 2016 Aug 15;16(a):385.
Haerkens, Marck Htm, et al. “Validation of the Dutch language version of the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ-NL).BMC Health Serv Res, vol. 16, no. a, Aug. 2016, p. 385. Pubmed, doi:10.1186/s12913-016-1648-3.
Haerkens MH, van Leeuwen W, Sexton JB, Pickkers P, van der Hoeven JG. Validation of the Dutch language version of the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ-NL). BMC Health Serv Res. 2016 Aug 15;16(a):385.
Journal cover image

Published In

BMC Health Serv Res

DOI

EISSN

1472-6963

Publication Date

August 15, 2016

Volume

16

Issue

a

Start / End Page

385

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Translations
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Safety Management
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Psychometrics
  • Patient Safety
  • Netherlands
  • Medical Staff, Hospital
  • Male
  • Language