Measuring continuity of care: psychometric properties of the Nijmegen Continuity Questionnaire.
BACKGROUND
Recently, the Nijmegen Continuity Questionnaire (NCQ) was developed. It aims to measure continuity of care from the patient perspective across primary and secondary care settings. Initial pilot testing proved promising.


OBJECTIVE
To further examine  the validity, discriminative ability, and reliability of the NCQ.


METHODS
A prospective psychometric instrument validation study in primary and secondary care in the Netherlands.


METHODS
The NCQ was administered to patients with a chronic disease recruited  from general practice (n = 145) and hospital outpatient departments (n = 123) (response rate 76%). A principal component analysis was performed to confirm three subscales that had been found previously. Construct validity was tested by correlating the NCQ score to scores of other  scales measuring quality of care, continuity, trust, and satisfaction. Discriminative ability was tested by investigating differences in continuity subscores of different subgroups. Test-retest reliability was analysed in 172 patients.


RESULTS
Principal factor analysis  confirmed the previously found three continuity subscales - personal continuity, care provider knows me; personal continuity, care provider shows commitment; and team/cross-boundary continuity. Construct validity was demonstrated through expected correlations with other variables and  discriminative ability through expected differences in continuity subscores of different subgroups. Test-retest reliability was high (the intraclass correlation coefficient varied between 0.71 and 0.82).


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides evidence for the validity, discriminative  ability, and reliability of the NCQ. The NCQ can be of value to identify problems in continuity of care.
Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Department of Primary and Community care, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. A.Uijen@elg.umcn.nl
Annemarie A
AA
Uijen
Henk J
HJ
Schers
François G
FG
Schellevis
Henk G A
HG
Mokkink
Chris
C
van Weel
Wil Jhm
WJ
van den Bosch
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*