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Evaluating health plan quality 3: survey measurement properties
Douglas R Wholey1, Michael Finch, Jon B Christianson
1Division of Health Services Research and Policy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn 55455, USA. whole001@umn.edu
The American Journal of Managed Care
|June 26, 2003
Summary
This study validated survey items for measuring health plan quality from a physician
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Quality Measurement
- Physician Surveys
- Health Plan Performance
Background:
- Assessing health plan quality is crucial for healthcare improvement.
- Physician perspectives offer valuable insights into plan performance.
- Existing measurement tools require rigorous validation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the measurement and scaling properties of survey items.
- To determine the reliability and validity of physician-reported health plan quality data.
- To ensure confidence in using these survey items for quality assessment.
Main Methods:
- Prospective survey design involving 3798 physicians across 5 US regions.
- Multivariate regression and structural equation modeling were employed.
- Cronbach's alpha assessed scale reliability; construct validity was tested via hypotheses.
Main Results:
- Survey scales demonstrated high reliability and stability for both generalist and specialist physicians.
- Construct validity was supported by confirmed hypotheses linking physician experiences to plan recommendations.
- The data indicate a robust measurement of health plan quality.
Conclusions:
- The validated survey items reliably measure health plan quality from a physician's viewpoint.
- These instruments can be confidently utilized for assessing healthcare plan performance.
- Findings support the use of physician-reported data in quality improvement initiatives.