Psychometric Properties of the Survey on Patient Safety Culture in Primary Care

Introduction: patient safety culture is key to improving the quality of care and protecting patients from potential harm. Its assessment is relevant for managing healthcare risks. The aim of this study was to explore the psychometric properties of the Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture, Spanish version, with a view to a future cultural adaptation of the tool. Materials and methods: quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional research was conducted in a non-random sample of 130 healthcare workers from three primary care facilities in the Valparaíso Region, Chile. To evaluate internal consistency, α-Cronbach, λ₆-Guttman, and ω-McDonald coefficients were used. In order to examine the factorial structure of the construct, an exploratory factor analysis with Varimax rotation was performed. Results: the internal consistency of the questionnaire was α-Cronbach = 0.91, λ₆-Guttman = 0.96, and ω-McDonald = 0.92. The exploratory factor analysis consistently grouped eight dimensions out of a total of ten, based on the 38 items of the scale, explaining a total variance of 51%. Conclusions: The survey exhibits high internal consistency. When examining the underlying structure of the instrument, it was observed that the items were distributed differently from what was reported by its authors. A new proposed structure with eight dimensions and 38 items that is coherent with its construct was identified. Future studies should be conducted to culturally adapt the tool for Chile and validate its factorial structure in different samples and contexts.