Dimopoulos Evangelos
University of Macedonia, Greece
Title: Psychometric testing of an expectations scale questionnaire
Biography
Biography: Dimopoulos Evangelos
Abstract
Statement of the Problem: Most of the instruments measuring patient satisfaction are based on the Likert Scale. An alternative measurement tool, which is winning acceptance among academics and practitioners, is the expectations scale which allows the organization to measure satisfaction as the difference between expectations and actual experience. The aim of this study was to develop multi-item scales and examine the psychometric properties of an instrument measuring the satisfaction of patients hospitalized in a public hospital in Greece.
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: Structured questionnaire with responses expressed on a five-point expectations scale was derived from an earlier Likert-type instrument. After pre-testing it, 42 items emerged. The survey was administered to a sample of 353 patients through telephone interviews. Initially, Kolmogorov Smirnov tests and missing values were examined, followed by an exploratory factor analysis with principal axis factoring estimation and promax rotation. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability, construct validity and ceiling and floor effects were then assessed.
Findings: Exploratory factor analysis yielded six scales, which had high levels of internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Moreover, multi-trait analysis indicated satisfactory construct validity. The overall satisfaction levels for the multi-item scales were high with notable ceiling effects.
Conclusion & Significance: The expectations scale seems, in general, to have good psychometric properties but exhibits moderate to high ceiling effects. Further research is required to further explore its usefulness for measuring patient satisfaction