Quality of care from the perspective of the cataract patient: the reliability and validity of the QUOTE-cataract.

BACKGROUND/AIMS To assess reliability and validity of the QUOTE-cataract, a questionnaire that measures the quality of care from the perspective of cataract patients. METHODS The QUOTE-cataract was tested in a multicentre study among 540 cataract patients in three different hospitals. Reliability was represented by internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), and repeatability (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)). Validity was evaluated qualitatively and by factor analyses. RESULTS A strong internal consistency coefficient (0.89), and high repeatability (ICC = 0.76) demonstrated good reliability. Content validity was assured by involvement of patients in the development of the questionnaire. Factor analysis confirmed an underlying taxonomy of generic and disease specific items. CONCLUSION The QUOTE-cataract has good reliability and provides a valid assessment of quality of care in cataract surgery.