Psychometric evaluation of an inpatient psychiatric care consumer satisfaction survey

This study assessed the psychometric properties of a questionnaire designed to measure consumer satisfaction with inpatient psychiatric care. To this end, 37 inpatient psychiatric units from across the United States agreed to participate. The questionnaire was completed by 1,351 individuals, or a responsible party, for an average response rate of 53%. The factor analysis identified six scales: Nonclinical Services, Psychiatric Care, Staff, Medical Outcome, Patient Education, and Program Components/Activities. The internal reliability of the scales was high to moderate (.88 to .74). Results of a stepwise regression model showed good criterion-related validity, explaining 58% of the variance in overall quality ratings. Little shrinkage in this variance occurred when the model was cross-validated. Also, differences in satisfaction levels were noted for select facility and consumer characteristics. Results are interpreted as providing support for the reliability and validity of a newly developed consumer satisfaction survey for use in evaluating inpatient psychiatric care.