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A questionnaire to measure satisfaction with community services for informal carers of stroke patients: construction and initial piloting

A questionnaire to measure satisfaction with community services for informal carers of stroke patients: construction and initial piloting
A questionnaire to measure satisfaction with community services for informal carers of stroke patients: construction and initial piloting
Stroke affects 120 000 people each year in the UK and is the most common cause of adult-onset disability. Most stroke patients are cared for at home by informal carers. Support for these carers is provided by the community services, but although single-item measures have shown that there is a relatively high level of dissatisfaction with those services, there is no specific satisfaction measurement instrument. The present study aimed to construct and initially validate a questionnaire to measure carers' satisfaction with community services for clinical and research purposes. Qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of informal carers of stroke patients identified via stroke unit discharge records gave information about content, context and language. Together with information from the carers' literature, this formed the basis of the questionnaire. A self-completion questionnaire proved unacceptable to carers with a very poor response rate (20%). Face-to-face interviews were more acceptable, with the questionnaire taking approximately 10 minutes to administer. All carers approached agreed to take part and only three carers dropped out from follow up, all because of reasons not related to the study. Initial validity and reliability testing with a sample of 44 carers identified through stroke groups and general practice showed good correlation with a single-item satisfaction measure (RHO = 0.797), test–retest reliability (RHO = 0.885) and inter-rater reliability (RHO = 0.868), and a high degree of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.859). Further validation with larger and more diverse groups of informal carers is needed before the questionnaire can be considered to be a robust and reliable tool. Factor analysis revealed seven factors: information about community support and involving the carer; amount, appropriateness and coordination of services; information about stroke; speed of change and concern about the carer; listening to the carer and being heard; problem management; and confidence in and accuracy of information. These factors have marked similarities to those found in the field of patient satisfaction with community services.
caregivers, community health services, questionnaire development, social walfare, stroke
0966-0410
129-137
Simon, Chantal
076d5ca8-0eeb-4fc7-a554-009207840d13
Little, Paul
1bf2d1f7-200c-47a5-ab16-fe5a8756a777
Birtwistle, Jon
5d63c92b-ba02-47e2-b0a4-631d4b0190ef
Kendrick, Tony
c697a72c-c698-469d-8ac2-f00df40583e5
Simon, Chantal
076d5ca8-0eeb-4fc7-a554-009207840d13
Little, Paul
1bf2d1f7-200c-47a5-ab16-fe5a8756a777
Birtwistle, Jon
5d63c92b-ba02-47e2-b0a4-631d4b0190ef
Kendrick, Tony
c697a72c-c698-469d-8ac2-f00df40583e5

Simon, Chantal, Little, Paul, Birtwistle, Jon and Kendrick, Tony (2003) A questionnaire to measure satisfaction with community services for informal carers of stroke patients: construction and initial piloting. Health & Social Care in the Community, 11 (2), 129-137. (doi:10.1046/j.1365-2524.2003.00408.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Stroke affects 120 000 people each year in the UK and is the most common cause of adult-onset disability. Most stroke patients are cared for at home by informal carers. Support for these carers is provided by the community services, but although single-item measures have shown that there is a relatively high level of dissatisfaction with those services, there is no specific satisfaction measurement instrument. The present study aimed to construct and initially validate a questionnaire to measure carers' satisfaction with community services for clinical and research purposes. Qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of informal carers of stroke patients identified via stroke unit discharge records gave information about content, context and language. Together with information from the carers' literature, this formed the basis of the questionnaire. A self-completion questionnaire proved unacceptable to carers with a very poor response rate (20%). Face-to-face interviews were more acceptable, with the questionnaire taking approximately 10 minutes to administer. All carers approached agreed to take part and only three carers dropped out from follow up, all because of reasons not related to the study. Initial validity and reliability testing with a sample of 44 carers identified through stroke groups and general practice showed good correlation with a single-item satisfaction measure (RHO = 0.797), test–retest reliability (RHO = 0.885) and inter-rater reliability (RHO = 0.868), and a high degree of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.859). Further validation with larger and more diverse groups of informal carers is needed before the questionnaire can be considered to be a robust and reliable tool. Factor analysis revealed seven factors: information about community support and involving the carer; amount, appropriateness and coordination of services; information about stroke; speed of change and concern about the carer; listening to the carer and being heard; problem management; and confidence in and accuracy of information. These factors have marked similarities to those found in the field of patient satisfaction with community services.

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More information

Published date: 2003
Keywords: caregivers, community health services, questionnaire development, social walfare, stroke

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 24503
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/24503
ISSN: 0966-0410
PURE UUID: 5a8a39b8-4abc-4904-9ef9-43eec4e4a43d
ORCID for Tony Kendrick: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1618-9381

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 31 Mar 2006
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:00

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Contributors

Author: Chantal Simon
Author: Paul Little
Author: Jon Birtwistle
Author: Tony Kendrick ORCID iD

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