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


METHODS
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.


RESULTS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
Analysis of the dropouts was not possible because of incomplete registrations at the wards.


CONCLUSIONS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Schröder
Agneta
A
Psychiatric Research Centre, Orebro County Council, Orebro, Sweden. agneta.schroder@orebroll.se
Larsson
Bodil Wilde
BW
Ahlström
Gerd
G
Lundqvist
Lars-Olov
LO
D000328:Adult; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires