A new bibliometric analysis published in the Journal of Patient Safety in August 2025 highlights Westat as the top organization publishing research on patient safety culture from 2001 to 2023. The study, which reviewed nearly 600 articles authored by more than 2,300 individuals across 1,000 sources, identified Westat as the most prolific organization, with 11 articles and an average of over 15 citations per publication. These findings underscore Westat’s longstanding leadership and sustained contributions to advancing patient safety research worldwide.
Westat’s Joann Sorra, PhD, an industrial-organizational psychologist and a Vice President for Behavioral Health and Health Policy, was recognized as one of the top 10 authors in the field and stands out as the most-cited author overall, with 719 citations. Sorra’s work has focused on the development and analysis of data from the Surveys on Patient Safety Culture (SOPS), which have been widely administered in thousands of healthcare organizations in the U.S. and internationally, with 56 translations in more than 100 countries.
“It’s an honor to be recognized alongside so many dedicated researchers contributing to the advancement of patient safety culture,” said Sorra. “For more than 2 decades, our work at Westat has been centered on the perspectives of healthcare providers and staff because no one understands an organization’s vulnerabilities and potential for improvement better than those on the frontlines. Their insights are essential to driving meaningful change and ensuring the safety and quality of patient care.”
Analyzing trends in patient safety culture research over the 22-year span, the authors concluded that research on patient safety culture is expanding globally and emphasized the importance of focusing on effective management and communication to strengthen patient safety outcomes.
