Developing and testing a tool to evaluate the quality of home aid services

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Services Research
• Social Work

Background:

• Home aid services are crucial for supporting individuals using long-term care.
• Assessing the quality of these services is essential for improving care delivery.
• Existing tools may not adequately capture the nuances of home aid service quality in Taiwan.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a reliable and valid tool for measuring the quality of home aid services.
• To provide a quantitative measure for evaluating home aid service quality in Taiwan.
• To identify key factors influencing the perception of home aid service quality.

Main Methods:

• A 28-item scale was initially drafted based on literature review.
• Cross-sectional surveys were conducted with home aid service users in southern Taiwan.
• Item analysis, factor analysis, and reliability testing (Cronbach's alpha, intraclass correlation coefficient) were performed.

Main Results:

• A final 14-item scale was developed.
• The scale demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.95).
• Factor analysis revealed two main dimensions: positive opinions (10 items) and negative opinions (4 items).
• Repeatability was confirmed with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.88.

Conclusions:

• The developed 14-item scale is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing home aid service quality.
• The tool can be utilized by long-term care centers in Taiwan to evaluate and enhance their home aid services.
• The findings provide a foundation for future research on home aid service quality and its impact on user satisfaction.