Measures of Parent Satisfaction with Early Intervention Services for Children with Physical Disabilities: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Parent satisfaction is an integral aspect of the evaluation of early intervention services for children with physical disabilities, yet little is known about the best way in which this should be assessed. This study sought to systematically review measures of parent satisfaction relevant to early intervention services for children with physical disabilities. Sources such as CINAHL, Cochrane, EMBASE. Medline, PsychINFO, Pubmed, and Web of Science were searched from January 1960 to June 2011. Studies are presented in which a measure of parent satisfaction was reported as an outcome for early intervention services for children with physical disabilities. Four of 10 identified measures were found to include more than 40% of items evaluating satisfaction directly. All four instruments have reported adequate internal consistency but none demonstrated evidence of test–retest reliability. Each identified instrument measured different modes of service provision. This aspect therefore is a prime consideration when selecting a measure of parent satisfaction in the evaluation of early intervention services.

Keywords:

• Parent satisfaction
• early intervention
• systematic review
• physical disability
• measurement
• instruments