Development and Psychometric Evaluation of a Caregiver Survey to Assess Family-Centered Care in the Emergency Department

ObjectiveTo develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a family caregiver-reported survey that assesses family-centeredness of care in the context of pediatric emergency department (ED) encounters.MethodsWe created a caregiver-reported scale, incorporated content expert feedback, and iteratively revised it based on cognitive interviews with caregivers. We then field tested the scale in a survey with caregivers. We dichotomized items using top-box scoring and obtained a summary score per respondent. Using a sample of 191 caregivers recruited from 9 EDs, we analyzed internal consistency reliability, dimensionality via item response theory modeling, and convergent validity with the ED Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey.ResultsFeedback from the 9 experts led us to remove 4 items. We conducted 16 cognitive interviews and revised the survey in 4 rounds. An 11-item survey was field tested. Mean (standard deviation) respondent 11-item summary score was 77.2 (26.6). We removed 2 items given inconsistent response patterns, poor variability, and poor internal consistency, which increased coefficient alpha from 0.85 to 0.88 for the final scale. A multidimensional model fit the data best, but factor scores correlated strongly with summary scores, suggesting the latter are sufficient for quality improvement and future research. Regarding convergent validity, adjusted partial correlation between our scale's 9-item summary score and the ED CAHPS summary score was 0.75 (95% confidence interval 0.67–0.81).ConclusionsPsychometric analyses demonstrated strong item performance, reliability, and convergent validity for the 9-item scale. This survey can be used to assess family-centered care in the ED for research and quality improvement purposes.