Service Quality in Early Intervention Centres: An Analysis of Its Influence on Satisfaction and Family Quality of Life.

Early Intervention (EI) is a set of interventions focused on responding to the needs of children with or at risk of developmental problems. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between the perceived quality of service, satisfaction and family quality of life. METHODS: to conduct a multi-centre, transversal study with a non-probabilistic sample. The participants (N = 1551) were families from 24 Early Intervention Centres (EICs) located in Spain. RESULTS: The results indicated an adequate fit of the measurement and structural models, with the latter showing a capacity of 73% to predict the family quality of life. The structural model established that the perceived service quality was a positive and significant predictor of satisfaction (ß = 0.85; p < 0.001). Both the perceived quality of service (ß = 0.28; p < 0.001) and satisfaction (ß = 0.33; p < 0.001) obtained a similar positive and significant relationship with family quality of life, which was slightly stronger than satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided a better understanding of the importance of the services offered in EICs and their influence on the satisfaction and family quality of life of their users. Thus, delving into these relationships was highly relevant for decision-making in the context of EI.

The Inventory of Quality in Early Intervention Centres for Service Providers: Preliminary Validating Study in a Spanish Sample.

Evaluating the service quality in early intervention (EI) from the perspective of professionals with knowledge in this area is essential for the improvement of EI centres. In this study, we aimed to test the reliability and validity of the adapted Inventory of Quality in Early Intervention Centres-P (IQEIC-P) in a sample of professionals who worked in EI centres. Three hundred and twenty-four professionals of 85 EI Spanish centres were recruited for this research. Various psychometric analyses were used to evaluate the factorial structure, the internal consistency, factorial validity and construct validity. A 5-dimension structure was obtained in the exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The results showed an adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha values between 0.71 and 0.83, and composite reliability (CR) values higher than 0.70), as well as satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity (average variance extracted (AVE) values above 0.50). In the confirmatory factor analysis, good model fit indicators were observed. The IQEIC-P showed adequate psychometric properties, demonstrating to be a valid instrument for the evaluation of service quality in EI centres from the perspective of professionals. The benefits will influence the professionals themselves, and they will have a positive and direct impact on the families that are attended to in these centres.

Evaluación de la calidad de servicio en Atención Temprana: revisión sistemática / Evaluation of quality of service in Early Intervention: A systematic review

Introducción: La Atención Temprana (AT), como servicio pediátrico, obliga a cuantificar resultados de intervención y calidad de servicio ofrecido. La disposición de instrumentos de medida válidos y fiables permitirá a los profesionales evaluar la calidad de estos servicios. Objetivo principal: Revisar la literatura científica, analizar la calidad metodológica de las herramientas utilizadas en AT para la medición de la calidad de servicio. Métodos: Se realizó una búsqueda en diferentes bases de datos: Medline (a través de Pubmed), Web of Science, PsycINFO, Cochrane, Scopus, ERIC y Scielo. La calidad metodológica de los estudios identificados se evaluó a través de la escala Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement (COSMIN) Resultados: Se seleccionaron 13 artículos que cumplieron los criterios de inclusión, de los cuales 10 obtuvieron una puntuación «buena» o «razonable» según la escala COSMIN. Conclusiones: Pese a su importancia, aún no existe consenso entre los autores sobre la medición de la calidad de servicio en AT. Habitualmente, es la familia de los niños atendidos en AT la población sobre la que se realizan los estudios, aunque la perspectiva de los profesionales toma auge y completa la información

Introduction: Early Intervention (EI), as a paediatric service, has the duty of quantifying the results and the quality of its services provided. The accessibility of valid and reliable tools allows professionals to evaluate the quality of these services. Main objective: The aim of this study is to review the scientific literature on tools used to measure the methodological and service quality in EI. Methods: A search was made in different databases: Medline (from PubMed), Web of Science, PsycINFO, Cochrane, Scopus, ERIC and Scielo. The methodological quality of the studies was tested using the COSMIN scale. Results: A total of 13 manuscripts met the criteria to be included in this review. Ten of them received a "Good" or "reasonable" score based on the COSMIN scale. Conclusions: Despite its importance, there is no consensus among authors on the measurement of service quality in EI. It is often the family of the children attended in EI that are considered the target to study, although the opinion of professionals carries more weight and completes the information

[Evaluation of quality of service in Early Intervention: A systematic review]. / Evaluación de la calidad de servicio en Atención Temprana: revisión sistemática.

INTRODUCTION: Early Intervention (EI), as a paediatric service, has the duty of quantifying the results and the quality of its services provided. The accessibility of valid and reliable tools allows professionals to evaluate the quality of these services. MAIN OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to review the scientific literature on tools used to measure the methodological and service quality in EI. METHODS: A search was made in different databases: Medline (from PubMed), Web of Science, PsycINFO, Cochrane, Scopus, ERIC and Scielo. The methodological quality of the studies was tested using the COSMIN scale. RESULTS: A total of 13 manuscripts met the criteria to be included in this review. Ten of them received a "good" or "reasonable" score based on the COSMIN scale. CONCLUSIONS: Despite its importance, there is no consensus among authors on the measurement of service quality in EI. It is often the family of the children attended in EI that are considered the target to study, although the opinion of professionals carries more weight and completes the information.