Development and validation of a generic patient experience instrument for measuring specialist outpatient service in Hong Kong

Objective: The measurement of patients' experience is an important performance indicator of health care service quality. A reliable and validated instrument to elicit patients' experience is an important step. This study aimed to develop a generic instrument to elicit patients' experience in specialist outpatient clinic provision with a rigorous and systematic methodology. Design: The instrument framework was developed according to findings of a literature review, patient focus group discussions, individual patient in-depth interviews and expert discussion. The framework was tested for psychometric performance with a cross-sectional telephone survey in terms of practicality, validity, reliability and responsiveness. Setting: 26 Public specialist outpatient clinics in Hong Kong were selected. Participants: Cantonese speaking patients aged 18 or above. Intervention(s): None. Main outcome measure(s): A validated generic patient experience questionnaire measuring Specialist Outpatient Service (SOPEQ). Results: A proportional sample total of 513 patients from 26 specialist outpatient clinics were recruited, response rate of 56%. The findings indicated that the instrument is practicable and concise. A structure of nine dimensions with 47 items structure was confirmed based on exploratory factor analysis and content validity. These items showed satisfactory internal reliability consistency (alpha = 0.793) and test-retest reliability ranged from 0.618 to 0.829. Conclusions: The SOPEQ was established with satisfactory psychometric properties. A valid and reliable measure to evaluate patients' experience is an important step in providing valuable input from patients' perspective for policy makers to improve patient-centred services. It also serves as a platform to engage patients and thereby, in improving health care quality and enhancing health outcomes.