Validation of a questionnaire measuring patient satisfaction with general practitioner services

Background-In order that patient satisfaction may be assessed in a meaningf ul way measures that are valid and reliable are required. This study was un dertaken to assess the construct validity and internal reliability of the p reviously developed Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ). Method-A total of 1390 patients from five practices in the North of England , the Midlands, and Scotland completed the questionnaire. Responses were ch ecked for construct validity (including confirmatory factor analysis to che ck the factor structure of the scale) and internal reliability. Results-Confirmatory factor analysis showed that items loaded on the approp riate factors in a five factor model (doctors, nurses, access, appointments , and facilities). Scores on the specific subscales showed highly significa nt positive correlations with general satisfaction subscale scores suggesti ng construct validity. Also, the prediction (derived from past research) th at older people would be more satisfied with the service was borne out by t he results (F (4, 1312) = 57.10; p < 0.0001), providing further construct v alidation. The five specific subscales (doctors, nurses, access, appointmen ts, and facilities), the general satisfaction subscale, and the questionnai re as a whole were found to have high internal reliability (Cronbach's a = 0.74-0.95). Conclusion-The results suggest that the PSQ is a valid and internally relia ble tool for assessing patient satisfaction with general practitioner servi ces.