DEVELOPMENT AND RESULTS OF A QUESTIONNAIRE TO MEASURE CARER SATISFACTION AFTER STROKE

Study objective-To develop a carer satisfaction questionnaire for use as an outcome measure in stroke, to test the measure for reliability a nd validity, and to survey levels of carer satisfaction with services for stroke patients. Design-Postal survey of carer satisfaction with s troke services was carried out using the questionnaire we developed an d tested. Internal consistency was tested and construct validation was explored by examining correlations with other outcome measures (the F aces Scale, the Nottingham Health Profile, the short form of the Geria tric Depression Scale, and the patient's Barthel Index score). Setting -Two adjacent districts in North East Thames Regional Health Authority .Participants-A total of 103 carers were identified from 219 people wh o had survived a stroke to six months. During the pilot stage, six of seven carers who were invited to participated in in depth interviews a nd 15 of 23 carers (65%) who were invited to completed the first draft of the questionnaire. Main results-The questionnaire was divided into two sections, one on inpatient services (Carer Hospsat) and one on se rvices after discharge (Carer Homesat). The questionnaire had construc t validity, providing significant correlations with the Faces Scale (C arer Hospsat r=0.59, p<0.00001 and Carer Homesat r=0.68, p<0.00001), t he patients' Barthel score (Carer Hospsat r=0.25, p=0.01), and the pat ients' Nottingham extended Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale (Car er Hospsat r=0.31, p=0.002). Internal consistency was high for both se ctions (Cronbach's alpha: Carer Hospsat 0.87, Carer Homesat 0.79). Mos t carers (77%) were satisfied with the care their relative or friend r eceived while in hospital, but only 39% were satisfied with services a fter discharge. Conclusions-Carer satisfaction is an important outcome measure in stroke research. This study has shown that carers are diss atisfied with services after hospital discharge. Our questionnaire is valid, reliable, and sensitive and could be used to test interventions aimed at improving services.