Why you should read this article:

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To understand the value of a tool to measure patients’ perceptions of safety in acute settings

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To appreciate how the King’s Patient Safety Measure can be appropriate for a diverse range of patients

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To assess the use of the KPSM as a real-time early warning tool

Background Safety measurement tools have traditionally examined safety climate and culture from the perspective of healthcare professionals. A small number of studies have used tools to measure patients’ perceptions of safety.

Aim To develop and check the validity of a questionnaire, the King’s Patient Safety Measure (KPSM), that assesses how patients perceive their safety when receiving acute care.

Discussion A cross-sectional survey of 158 patients was undertaken that was constructed to establish the validity and reliability of a 13-item questionnaire. A general linear model statistically tested how patients perceived the safety of their care and whether those views were associated with covariates that included characteristics such as age, gender, ethnic identity, socio-economic factors, how long they stayed in hospital and the way they were admitted to hospital.

Conclusion The KPSM is a validated tool consisting of a single factor that is internally consistent.

Implications for practice The KPSM is appropriate for and potentially applicable to a diverse range of patients and could act as an early warning tool.