title: Do we know what foundation year doctors think about patient safety incident reporting? Development of a Web based tool to assess attitude and knowledge.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Making healthcare safer is an international priority. Patient safety modules are now taught in medical schools, and methods to assess related student knowledge and attitudes have been developed. However, little is known about the attitudes and knowledge which foundation doctors are developing to patient safety and incident reporting in the healthcare workplace, since a specific assessment tool appears to be lacking.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To develop, content validate and pilot test an online questionnaire survey to elicit foundation doctors' knowledge and experience of patient safety and incident reporting, and assess related attitudes and behaviours.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaire content validity was facilitated through: a steering group; literature review; feedback from foundation year doctors and consultant staff; a modified Delphi group; and completion of a content validity index by experts. In 2010 a cross-sectional online survey of 110 foundation year 1 and 2 doctors was then undertaken in three Scottish NHS board areas, utilising the developed 25 item questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The questionnaire was validated, and piloted among 69 foundation year doctors who responded to the questionnaire. The pilot has provided valuable insights into trainee attitudes and experience. For example, 32 (48%) believed that most safety incidents were due to things that they could not do anything about; and 31 (43%) admitted to being involved in medication errors which were not formally reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pilot study was successful in taking the first steps to developing a validated survey questionnaire for a key staff group, foundation year doctors, in a priority area. However, the findings raise concerns about trainee experience of and attitudes to reporting, and the frequency with which incidents go unreported.
authors.affiliation: NHS Dumfries & Galloway, Education Centre, Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, Bankend Road, Dumfries, UK. jean.robson@nhs.net
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Robson
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Wet
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McKay
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bowie
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D061214:Patient Safety / Q000592:standards*; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012308:Risk Management / Q000592:standards*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires