Psychometric properties of the instrument quality in psychiatric care and descriptions of quality of care among in-patients.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this paper is to test the psychometric properties and dimensionality of a new instrument, quality in psychiatric care (QPC), and to describe and compare quality of care among in-patients as measured by this instrument.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The instrument quality in psychiatric care measures patients' experiences regarding quality of care. The instrument is based on a definition of quality of care from the patients' perspective. A sample of 265 in-patients at eight general psychiatric wards in Sweden was assessed.

FINDINGS

Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the original five-dimensional 69-item QPC was better with six dimensions and reduced to 30 items, hereinafter denoted quality in psychiatric care-in-patients (QPC-IP) with retained internal consistency. The patients' ratings of quality of care were generally high; the highest rating was for quality of encounter and the lowest for participation.

RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Analysis of the dropouts was not possible because of incomplete registrations at the wards.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

QPC-IP is a simple, inexpensive and quick way to evaluate quality of care and thus contributes to health care improvement in the field of psychiatry.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The new 30 items instrument, QPC-IP includes important aspects of patients' perceptions of quality of care. The QPC-IP is psychometrically adequate and thus recommended for evaluating patients' experiences of the quality of psychiatric care.