title: Development and testing of a scale for assessing the quality of home nursing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a home nursing quality scale and to evaluate its psychometric properties.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a 3-year study. In the first year, 19 focus group interviews with caregivers of people using home nursing services were carried out in northern, central and southern Taiwan. Content analysis was carried out and a pool of questionnaire items compiled. In the second year (2007), study was carried out on a stratified random sample selected from home nursing organizations covered by the national health insurance scheme in southern Taiwan. The study population was the co-resident primary caregivers of home care nursing service users. Item analysis and exploratory factor analysis were carried out on data from 365 self-administered questionnaires collected from 13 selected home care organizations. In the third year (2008), a random sample of participants was selected from 206 hospital-based home care nursing organizations throughout Taiwan, resulting in completion of 294 questionnaires from 27 organizations. Confirmatory factor analysis was then carried out on the scale, and the validity and reliability of the scale assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The present study developed a reliable and valid home nursing quality scale from the perspective of users of home nursing services. The scale comprised three factors: dependability, communication skills and service usefulness. This scale is of practical value for the promotion of long-term community care aging in local policies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The scale is ready to be used to assess the quality of services provided by home care nursing organizations.
authors: School of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors: Chii-Jun
authors: CJ
authors: Chiou
authors: School of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors: Hsiu-Hung
authors: HH
authors: Wang
authors: Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Maoli, Taiwan.
authors: Hsing-Yi
authors: HY
authors: Chang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care
keywords: confirmatory factor analysis; exploratory factor analysis; home nursing quality; scale