Abstract
BackgroundThis study aims to describe the validation and optimization of a new instrument designed to comprehensively measure and evaluate the quality of care in nursing homes; the Quality Evaluation Questionnaires for Nursing Homes (QEQ-NH). This instrument comprises several questionnaires on the perceived quality of care for various perspectives (e.g. clients, family and professional caregivers) and covers eight themes of the national quality framework for nursing home care in the Netherlands.MethodsData were collected in six nursing homes between September 2017 and June 2018, among 359 residents, 48 family caregivers and 648 professional caregivers who completed a subgroup-specific questionnaire of the QEQ-NH. Construct and criterion validity of the three questionnaires were tested with item- and scale analyses. Content validity of the questionnaires was tested in cognitive interviews with 20 participants (7 residents, 5 family caregivers and 8 professional caregivers).ResultsPsychometric analyses confirmed the multidimensionality and reliability of the three questionnaires, and the cognitive interviews showed various possibilities for further optimization of the instrument. Construct, criterion and content validity of the three questionnaires ranged from acceptable to good. Cronbach’s alphas were > .70 for almost all scales. More than half of the items were candidate for optimization according to the cognitive interviews, mainly due to clarity or knowledge problems, and the questionnaires of the QEQ-NH were optimized accordingly.ConclusionsThe Quality Evaluation Questionnaires for Nursing Homes (QEQ-NH) provide a solid basis to measure the quality of nursing home care, by covering the national quality themes and by integrating the various perspectives of all parties involved. With real-time feedback, the instrument provides the management and care teams with information to select possibilities or areas for improvement and to continuously monitor the effects of quality improvement in nursing homes.
Highlights
This study aims to describe the validation and optimization of a new instrument designed to comprehensively measure and evaluate the quality of care in nursing homes; the Quality Evaluation Questionnaires for Nursing Homes (QEQ-NH)
The analyses indicate whether and to what extent the scores on each domain of the QEQ-NH questionnaire determine the recommendations of nursing homes in each group
Out of the 1325 persons who were enrolled for the study, a total of 1055 participants completed the questionnaires, including 359 residents, 48 family caregivers and 648 professional caregivers
Summary
This study aims to describe the validation and optimization of a new instrument designed to comprehensively measure and evaluate the quality of care in nursing homes; the Quality Evaluation Questionnaires for Nursing Homes (QEQ-NH). Quality of nursing home care Quality assurance and improvement is a major and continuous challenge in nursing homes These long-term care facilities aim to provide person-centred, safe and effective care to their residents, in order to maximize their quality of life. For example in the Netherlands, the availability of staff was found to be a major concern of residents and family caregivers [5] and the care is often perceived as hurried [6] Given these ongoing strains, the question on how to maintain or even improve the quality of care in nursing homes remains topical.
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