Monitoring Consumer Satisfaction With Inpatient Service Delivery: The Inpatient Evaluation of Service Questionnaire

Abstract

Objective: To report on the development, testing and psychometric properties of a brief consumer satisfaction measure for use with psychiatric inpatients. Method: Focus group discussions with inpatients were used to develop a pool of items related to satisfaction with hospital stay. A second cohort of 72 inpatients was invited to rate the 51 items that emerged for importance in contributing to satisfaction. Mean importance scores highlighted 20 items that were subsequently framed into neutrally worded statements. A draft questionnaire comprising these statements was introduced, on a trial basis, in a range of inpatient facilities. Results: Factor analysis of 356 completed questionnaires yielded three factors comprising a staff-patient alliance; doctor/treatment issues; and an environmental component. Psychometric properties include good response variability and high internal consistency. Conclusions: The Inpatient Evaluation of Service Questionnaire addresses many of the shortcomings of existing satisfaction measures. It was developed through extensive consumer involvement, it is simply worded, easy to score and appears to perform well with acute and rehabilitation inpatients.