Patient-reported assessment of quality care at end of life: Development and validation of Quality Care Questionnaire–End of Life (QCQ–EOL)

Abstract

Our goal was to validate an instrument with which terminally ill patients could evaluate the quality of care they receive at the end of life (EOL).

Questionnaire development followed a four-phase process: item generation and reduction, construction, pilot testing, and field-testing. Using relevance and priority criteria and pilot testing, we developed a 16-item questionnaire. Factor analyses of data from 235 patients resulted in the Quality Care Questionnaire–End of Life (QCQ–EOL) covering dignity-conserving care, care by health care professionals, individualised care, and family relationships. All subscales and total scores showed high internal consistency (Cronbach alpha range, 0.73–0.89). The ability of total score and selective subscale scores clearly differentiated patients on the basis of clinical situation, sense of dignity, and general rating of care quality. Correlations of scores between patients and caregivers were substantial. The QCQ–EOL can be adopted to assess the quality of care received by terminally ill patients.