Table 2.

Responses to APSQ-III items

Domain	Positive responses (%)*
	Overall	Between schools
		A	B	C	D
Patient safety training received	84.9	57.3	90	99.4	98.5
1. My training is preparing me to understand the causes of medical errors.	84.8	56.6	89.7	99	99
2. I have a good understanding of patient safety issues as a result of my undergraduate medical training.	85.2	58.4	90.2	99.8	97
3. My training is preparing me to prevent medical errors.	84.7	56.8	90.1	99.3	99.4
Error-reporting confidence	74.9	53.1	75.8	85.6	88.1
4. I would feel comfortable reporting any errors I had made, no matter how serious the outcome had been for the patient.	71.6	52.9	68.5	80.5	85.7
5. I would feel comfortable reporting any errors other people had made, no matter how serious the outcome had been for the patient.	76.7	53.4	79.8	88.1	89.5
6. I am confident I can talk openly to my supervisor about an error I had made, even if it resulted in potential or actual harm to my patient.	76.5	53.1	79	88.1	89.2
Working hours as an error cause	83.4	56.2	88.2	98	98.7
7. Shorter shifts for doctors will reduce medical errors.	81.7	53.9	85.9	97.1	97.3
8. By not taking regular breaks during shifts, doctors are at an increased risk of making errors.	84.7	57.8	89.8	98.9	99.5
9. The number of hours doctors work increases the likelihood of making medical errors.	83.8	56.8	89	97.9	99.4
Error inevitability	74.9	55.2	80.9	87.1	82.2
10. Even the most experienced and competent doctors make errors.	84.3	56.7	89.4	99.8	98.7
11. A true professional does not make mistakes or errors.†	68.9	53	79.3	86.1	64.8
12. Human error is inevitable.	71.6	56	73.9	75.4	83.2
Professional incompetence as an error cause	58.4	53.25	59.6	61	60
13. Most medical errors result from careless nurses	68.1	56.8	79	79.3	62.1
14. If people paid more attention at work, medical errors would be avoided†	67.2	53.2	62.5	72.8	80.1
15. Most medical errors result from careless doctors†	65.8	55.1	74.2	77.1	61.4
16. Medical errors are a sign of incompetence†	32.5	47.9	22.7	14.7	36.5
Disclosure responsibility	69.4	55.1	72.6	78.4	74.8
17. It is not necessary to report errors which do not result in adverse outcomes for the patient†	60.8	57.6	70.7	69.8	48.8
18. Doctors have a responsibility to disclose errors to patients only if the errors result in patient harm.	80.8	55	85.2	93.8	94.5
19. All medical errors should be reported.	66.7	52.6	61.9	71.6	81
Team functioning	76.9	55.7	77.5	87.6	91.8
20. Better multidisciplinary teamwork will reduce medical errors.	69.2	54.9	64.5	75.4	84.5
21. Teaching students teamwork skills will reduce medical errors.	84.7	56.6	90.5	99.8	99.1
Patient involvement in reducing errors	84.7	56.7	90.2	99.4	98.7
22. Patients have an important role in preventing medical errors.	85.1	56.1	90.5	99.5	98.6
23. Encouraging patients to be more involved in their care can help to reduce the risk of medical errors occurring.	84.5	57.3	90	99.3	98.8
Importance of patient safety in the curriculum	71.6	56.4	78.5	82.4	74.4
24. Teaching students about patient safety should be an important priority in medical students’ training.	84.1	55.9	89.5	99.1	98.6
25. Patient safety issues cannot be taught; they can only be learnt through clinical experience, which is gained when one is qualified.†	46.6	55.8	55.4	50	25.3
26. Learning about patient safety issues before I qualify will enable me to become a more effective doctor.	85	57.5	90.7	99.3	99.4

A, Harbin Medical University; B, Qiqihar Medical University; C, Mudanjiang Medical University; D, Medical College of Jiamusi University.

*Positive responses include responses of ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’. The denominator for each question might vary because some students did not respond to every question in the survey;

†Negatively worded item, where the positive response rate is based on responses of ‘strongly disagree’ or ‘disagree’.

APSQ-III, Attitudes toward Patient Safety Questionnaire III.