Development and validation of the Health Care Satisfaction Questionnaire (HCSQ) in elders

The Health Care Satisfaction Questionnaire (HCSQ) was designed for the evaluation of health care and services in a manner that controls acquiescence bias yet is characterized by a simple structure. The HCSQ was developed and validated within the context of the Program of Research to Integrate Services for the Maintenance of Autonomy (PRISMA) in the Sherbrooke and Quebec City areas of Quebec, Canada. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were done with 873 subjects and confirmed the multidimensional nature of the concept of satisfaction. Three factors explained more than 52% of the total variance. The analysis of internal consistency produced Cronbach alpha coefficients of .93, .74, and .78 for Factors 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The alpha of the overall scale was .92. The intraclass correlation coefficient (test-retest) for the entire scale was .72 (95% CI: .52-.84). In light of these findings, the characteristics and multidimensional perspective of the HCSQ appear to be useful for measuring and advancing knowledge about health care and services satisfaction.