Validation of an instrument for the assessment of patient-centred care among patients with multimorbidity in the primary care setting: the 36-item patient-centred primary care instrument.

BACKGROUND: Validated instruments are needed to assess the delivery of patient-centred care (PCC) to patients with multimorbidity in the primary care setting. Eight dimensions of PCC have been identified: respect for patients' preferences, access to care, emotional support, information and education, involvement of family and friends, continuity and secure transition between health care settings, physical comfort, and coordination of care. The main objective of this study was to validate an instrument for the assessment of PCC among patients with multimorbidity in the primary care setting: the 36-item patient-centred primary care (PCPC) instrument.

METHODS: We included patients with multimorbidity from seven health care practices in the region of Tilburg, the Netherlands. All patients enrolled in at least two chronic care programmes (involving diagnosis of and treatment for combinations of diabetes, asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular diseases and conditions, and age-related frailty) were selected from the practices' data registries and included as eligible participants. A total of 216 patients with multimorbidity filled in the study questionnaire (55% response rate). We tested the instrument using structural equation modelling, and examined its validity and reliability.

RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses revealed good indices of fit and overall internal consistency, as represented by Cronbach's alpha values. All eight dimensions of PCC were related positively to satisfaction with care (all p ≤ 0.001). Patients with multimorbidity who experienced joint decision making and responsibility taking in the primary care setting also had significantly higher scores for all eight PCC dimensions, indicating the instrument's construct validity.

CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the psychometric properties of the 36-item PCPC instrument are good. Based on these results the PCPC instrument seems a promising tool for the assessment of PCC among patients with multimorbidity in the primary care setting.