Characterizing intensive community-based care: use, reliability and factor structure of a generic measure

Abstract

Background: There is a need for a reliable measurement instrument to characterize intensive community-based care across different types of programs.

Aims: The aim of the current study was to use and test the previously developed Intensive Community-Based Care Program Components (ICPC) Questionnaire.

Method: This questionnaire was used in a census of programs throughout the Netherlands. Reliability of the a priori scales was assessed, and exploratory factor analysis was used to reduce the number of scales and to re-evaluate the structure of the questionnaire. Descriptive data were calculated to characterize Dutch programs. Of the programs, 58% responded to the questionnaire.

Results: Of the a priori scales, 70% were internally consistent. With factor analysis the number of scales was considerably reduced (73%), but still explaining 58% of the total variance.

Conclusions: This study shows that the ICPC can be used to improve future effect studies and for international comparisons of programs.

Keywords:

• addiction
• assertive community treatment
• characteristics
• intensive community-based care
• measure

Acknowledgement

This study has been conducted in cooperation with IVO Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Notes

1. In this study it was important to have a heterogeneous group of programs that was still comparable on certain structural characteristics; it was decided to focus on programs with comparable target populations.

2. The criteria that were recommended by Velicer and Fava (1998), such as a minimum sample size and ≥3 items per factor, affect the degree to which a sample pattern reproduces the population pattern. These do not apply here, as this study included the whole population.