Preliminary report on the validation of a questionnaire measuring patient satisfaction with services at the sickle cell unit in Jamaica.

OBJECTIVE: Patient satisfaction has become an increasingly important component of quality assessment. This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the psychometric properties of a Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire modified for use in the Sickle Cell Unit, Jamaica. METHODS: A total of 85 persons were interviewed. Construct validity, including exploratory factor analysis and internal reliability were assessed. Data were analysed using SPSS (version 11.5 for Windows) and Intercooled STATA (version 8.2). RESULTS: The Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire modified for use in the Sickle Cell Unit demonstrated good internal reliability for the 'doctors', 'nurses', 'social worker' and facilities' subscales (Cronbach's alpha > or = 0.70). Exploratory factor analysis revealed only four of the seven 'specific'subscales retaining a single factor, namely the 'nurses', 'facilities', 'appointments'and 'social worker' subscales. Those who attended more frequently gave a statistically significant higher score for facilities' and lower score for 'nurses'. However there was no statistically significant difference in the mean scores by age, gender and genotype. The 'general satisfaction' subscale scores showed a significant positive correlation with scores for 'doctors', 'nurses', 'laboratory'and facilities'and 'appointments'. CONCLUSION: This preliminary report on the validation of the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire modified for use in the Sickle Cell Unit reveals it has the potential for serving as a useful tool in the assessment of patient satisfaction among sickle cell patients. However further work is necessary on the instrument.

Family medicine training by distance education.

A postgraduate programme is developed to provide Family Medicine training to practising General Practitioners. The programme provides physicians with didactic material by distance education while enhancing clinical competence through face-to-face sessions in ambulatory clinics. Assessment of participating physicians is based on the responses to distance education assignments, case presentations during clinical sessions, clinical examinations at the end of year 2 and the defense of a research project in year 3. Initial programme evaluations demonstrate that the distance education format is successfully incorporated in the discipline of Family Medicine postgraduate training.

Building family medicine postgraduate training in Jamaica: overcoming challenges in a resource-limited setting.

This paper recounts the development of family medicine postgraduate training in Jamaica, the challenges faced and lessons learned. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by past trainees exploring the perceived usefulness, strengths and weaknesses of the programme. The results of this study helped guide the strengthening of family medicine training in a resource-limited setting.

Assumptions about disease treatment challenged in a family health clerkship: views of first clinical year medical students.

CONTEXT: During a family health clerkship at the University of The West Indies, students are expected to acquire individual and community diagnosis skills and the ability to relate the two, as well as acquire knowledge of other community agencies involved in health care. OBJECTIVE: To determine the main assumptions related to disease treatment, which students have had to re-think after engaging in this clerkship. METHODS: End of clerkship assessments were carried out from two successive groups of third year medical students (n=64) at the University of West Indies, Jamaica. Students were asked to "list two assumptions regarding treating disease that have been challenged by your experience". A subsequent content analysis was done. RESULTS: Fifty-five students (86%) completed the assessment. All assumptions were listed (n=99) and similar issues were linked into emerging themes. Twenty-five groups of assumptions produced seven main themes: "Issues related to compliance" (27.3%),"Patient's treatment is mainly physical" (17.2%), " Superiority of western medicine over alternative" (15.2%), "Patients' health seeking behavior and attitudes" (12.1%), " The extent of the contribution of social factors on health" (12.1%) and "Patients' knowledge and understanding of health" (7.0%). CONCLUSION: The majority of students examined felt challenged on three themes: relating to issues of compliance, treating the "whole" patient not just the physical, and the superiority of western medicine over alternative. The three most popular individual assumptions were; patients have a mindset that favours compliance, medication affordability does not affect compliance and treatment is independent of social and environmental conditions.

Preliminary report on the validation of a questionnaire measuring patient satisfaction with services at the Sickle Cell Unit in Jamaica / Reporte preliminar sobre la validación de un cuestionario para medir la satisfacción de los pacientes con respecto a los servicios de la Unidad de Anemia Falciforme en Jamaica

OBJECTIVE: Patient satisfaction has become an increasingly important component of quality assessment. This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the psychometric properties of a Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire modified for use in the Sickle Cell Unit, Jamaica. METHODS: A total of 85 persons were interviewed. Construct validity, including exploratory factor analysis and internal reliability were assessed. Data were analysed using SPSS (version 11.5 for Windows) and Intercooled STATA (version 8.2). RESULTS: The Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire modified for use in the Sickle Cell Unit demonstrated good internal reliability for the 'doctors', 'nurses', 'social worker' and 'facilities' subscales (Cronbach's a > 0.70). Exploratory factor analysis revealed only four of the seven 'specific' subscales retaining a single factor, namely the 'nurses', 'facilities', 'appointments'and 'social worker'subscales. Those who attended more frequently gave a statistically significant higher score for 'facilities' and lower score for 'nurses'. However there was no statistically significant difference in the mean scores by age, gender and genotype. The 'general satisfaction' subscale scores showed a significant positive correlation with scores for 'doctors', 'nurses', 'laboratory' and 'facilities' and 'appointments'. CONCLUSION: This preliminary report on the validation of the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire modified for use in the Sickle Cell Unit reveals it has the potential for serving as a useful tool in the assessment ofpatient satisfaction among sickle cell patients. However, further work is necessary on the instrument.

OBJETIVO: La satisfacción del paciente se ha convertido en un componente cada vez más importante de la evaluación de la calidad. Este estudio transversal se llevó a cabo a fin de evaluar las propiedades psicométricas de una Cuestionario de Satisfacción del Cliente, modificado para su uso en la Unidad de Anemia Falciforme, Jamaica. MÉTODOS: Se entrevistó un total de 85 personas. Se evaluó la validez del constructo, incluyendo el análisis exploratorio de factores y la confiabilidad interna. Los datos fueron analizados utilizando el SPSS (versión 11.5 para Windows) e Intercooled STATA (versión 8.2). RESULTADOS: El Cuestionario de Satisfacción del Cliente para uso en la Unidad de Anemia Falciforme demostró buena confiabilidad interna para las subescalas de 'doctores', 'enfermeras', 'trabajadores sociales'e 'instalaciones'(Cronbach: a > 0.70). El análisis exploratorio de factores reveló solamente cuatro de las siete subescalas "específicas" que retienen un solo factor, a saber, "enfermeras", "instalaciones ", "citas " y "trabajadores sociales ". Aquellos que asistían con mayor frecuencia, arrojaron - desde el punto de vista de las estadísticas - una puntuación significativamente más alta para las "instalaciones", y una puntuación más bajas para las "enfermeras ". Sin embargo, no hubo diferencias estadísticas significativas en las puntuaciones promedio por edad, género o genotipo. Las puntuaciones de subescala de la "satisfacción general" mostraron una correlación significativamente positiva con respecto a las puntuaciones para "doctores", "enfermeras", "laboratorio" e "instalaciones, y "citas". CONCLUSIÓN: Este reporte preliminar sobre la validación del Cuestionario de Satisfacción del Paciente, modificado para su uso en la Unidad de Anemia Falciforme, revela que esta Unidad tiene el potencial necesario para servir como instrumento útil a fin de evaluar el grado de satisfacción del servicio entre los pacientes de anemia falciforme. No obstante, el instrumento requiere ulterior elaboración.

Family medicine training by distance education / Entrenamiento en medicina de la familia mediante educación a distancia

A postgraduate programme is developed to provide Family Medicine training to practising General Practitioners. The programme provides physicians with didactic material by distance education while enhancing clinical competence through face-to-face sessions in ambulatory clinics. Assessment of participating physicians is based on the responses to distance education assignments, case presentations during clinical sessions, clinical examinations at the end of year 2 and the defense of a research project in year 3. Initial programme evaluations demonstrate that the distance education format is successfully incorporated in the discipline of Family Medicine postgraduate training.