Objectives: This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the traditional Chinese version of the Attitudes to Patient Safety Questionnaire (APSQ-T) in a Taiwanese population (Study 1) and investigate dental students' perceptions of patient safety, identify their educational needs, and correlate these aspects to improve the curriculum (Study 2). Methods: Study 1 conducted a cross-sectional study using convenience sampling at a medical university in Taiwan. A total of 223 participants from the fields of dentistry, oral hygiene, nursing, and medicine were recruited to complete an anonymous survey for the validation of the APSQ-T. In Study 2, data collected from dental students were further analyzed to explore their attitudes and needs regarding patient safety. Results: In Study 1, the APSQ-T demonstrated good reliability and validity. After cultural adaptation, it can be administered to students across all healthcare professions, including dentistry. In Study 2, a total of 135 valid questionnaires from dental students were analyzed, with a response rate of 65.5%. The participants showed relatively conservative attitudes on ``Disclosure responsibility'' and ``Error reporting confidence,'' while showing high agreement with ``Working hours as error cause'' and ``Situational awareness.'' Among the clinical group, females perceived less training than males. Moreover, the clinical group reported a significantly higher percentage of medical error-related experiences than the pre-clinical group. Most respondents expressed a desire for further education on patient safety issues. Conclusions: In future curricular developments, dental students' attitudes and needs regarding medical errors and patient safety should be considered to promote an open clinical culture.
Lee et al. (Mon,) studied this question.