View Information Collection Request (ICR) Package

OMB Control No: 0935-0162	ICR Reference No: 202512-0935-004
Status: Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 202208-0935-002
Agency/Subagency: HHS/AHRQ	Agency Tracking No: 20206
Title: Collection of Information for AHRQ's Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture Comparative Database
Type of Information Collection: Reinstatement with change of a previously approved collection	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved with change	Conclusion Date: 02/19/2026
	Date Received in OIRA: 01/06/2026
Terms of Clearance:

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	02/28/2029	36 Months From Approved
Responses	990	0	0
Time Burden (Hours)	222	0	0
Cost Burden (Dollars)	31,878	0	0

Abstract: The SOPS Hospital Survey is designed to enable hospitals to assess provider and staff perspectives about patient safety issues, medical error, and error reporting. In 2004, Version 1.0 of the survey, which includes 42 items that measure 12 composites of patient safety culture, was released on the AHRQ website. AHRQ made the survey publicly available along with a Survey User’s Guide and other toolkit materials. In 2019, an updated version of the survey, Version 2.0, was released on the AHRQ website (OMB 0935-0230, approved 01/21/2016). This version includes a total of 40 items: 32 items across 10 composite measures, 2 single-item measures, and 6 background questions. The AHRQ SOPS Hospital Database consists of data from the AHRQ SOPS Hospital Survey 2.0 and may include reportable, non-required supplemental items . Hospitals in the U.S. can voluntarily submit data from the survey to AHRQ, through its contractor, Westat. The SOPS Hospital Database (OMB NO. 0935-0162, last approved on October 18, 2022) was developed by AHRQ in 2006 in response to requests from hospitals interested in tracking their own survey results. Organizations submitting data receive a feedback report, as well as a report of the aggregated, de-identified findings of the other hospitals submitting data. These reports are used to assist hospital staff in their efforts to improve patient safety culture in their organizations. Rationale for the information collection. The SOPS Hospital Survey and the SOPS Hospital Database support AHRQ’s goals of promoting improvements in the quality and safety of healthcare in hospitals. The survey, toolkit materials, and database results are all made publicly available on AHRQ’s website. Technical assistance is provided by AHRQ through its contractor at no charge to hospitals, to facilitate the use of these materials for hospital patient safety and quality improvement. The SOPS Hospital Database seeks to answer the following research questions: 1. What is the current state of patient safety culture in hospitals? 2. Has there been a change in patient safety culture scores since the previous database? 3. Are there differences in scores based on staff position and unit/work area? The goals of the SOPS Hospital Database are: 1. Produce aggregated results from hospitals that voluntarily submit their data; and 2. Provide feedback reports to hospitals that voluntarily submit their data to help them identify their strengths and areas for improvement in patient safety culture.

Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 42 USC 299 Name of Law: Healthcare Research and Quality Act of 1999

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	90 FR 44379	09/15/2025
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	90 FR 57469	12/11/2025
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	990	0	-1,050	2,040
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	222	0	-237	459
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	31,878	-270	32,148	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Increase Due to:

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: The estimated number of POCs decreased from 340 in the previous information collection request (ICR) to 165 in this ICR. This updated estimate is based on the actual number of POCs from the 2024 SOPS Hospital data submission. As a result of fewer POCs submitting data, the total burden hours have decreased from 459 to 222.75.

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $296,016

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? Yes Part B of Supporting Statement

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. Yes

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? No

Agency Contact: Margie Shofer 301 427-1696 margie.shofer@ahrq.hhs.gov

View ICR - OIRA Conclusion