https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4885-4238
Abstract
Purpose
In South Korea, hospitalized patients’ experiences significantly impact satisfaction and treatment outcomes. This study developed and evaluated the Inpatients Experience Measurement Scale (IEMS) for its psychometric properties.
Patients and Methods
Participants from three hospitals were recruited using convenience sampling. Scale item generation involved patient interviews and a Delphi survey with experts. Psychometric testing used Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with 150 participants and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) with 151 participants.
Results
A total of 301 patients participated, resulting in a 20-item scale across four factors: “Care Quality and Information Provision”, “Patient Safety and Dietary Services”, “Facility and Comfort Infrastructure”, and “Comprehensive Patient Support Services”. Rated on a 5-point Likert scale, the scale showed a high Content Validity Index (CVI) over 0.80. EFA explained 61.43% of the variance. The four-factor model was validated using CFA with favorable fit indices. The IEMS demonstrated strong convergent validity, supported by high composite reliability (CR) and average variance extracted (AVE) values. Significant correlations with the Patient Satisfaction Scale reinforced its convergent validity. Discriminant validity was confirmed, and all reliability measures exceeded the minimum threshold of 0.80.
Conclusion
The IEMS effectively captures inpatients’ experiences, demonstrating robust reliability and validity. This scale is a valuable tool for assessing patient experiences, facilitating enhancements in patient care and satisfaction within hospital settings.
Institutional Review Board Statement
The study was conducted under the Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Institutional Review Board at Chonnam National University Hospital (IRB no. CNUH-2020-032).
Data Sharing Statement
The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to respondents’ confidentiality but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Informed Consent Statement
Informed consent was obtained from all study participants before participation in this study. All participants were informed that no personal identifying information was collected.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank all participants who volunteered their time to participate in the study. Also, we would like to thank the collaborating authors for their contributions.
Author Contributions
All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether in conception, study design, execution, data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation, or in all these areas; or drafting, revising, or critical review of the article. All authors approved the final version to be published, agreed on the journal for article submission, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Disclosure
The authors declare no conflicts of interest in this work.