Background: The gathering of feedback on doctors from patients after consultations is an
important part of patient involvement and participation. This study first assesses the 23-item
Patient Feedback Questionnaire (PFQ) designed by the Picker Institute, Europe, to determine
whether these items form a single latent trait. Then, an Internet module with visual representation
is developed to gather patient views about their doctors; this program then distributes the
individualized results by email.
Methods: A total of 450 patients were randomly recruited from a 1300-bed-size medical center
in Taiwan. The Rasch rating scale model was used to examine the data-fit. Differential item
functioning (DIF) analysis was conducted to verify construct equivalence across the groups. An
Internet module with visual representation was developed to provide doctors with the patient's
online feedback.
Results: Twenty-one of the 23 items met the model's expectation, namely that they constitute a
single construct. The test reliability was 0.94. DIF was found between ages and different kinds of
disease, but not between genders and education levels. The visual approach of the KIDMAP module
on the WWW seemed to be an effective approach to the assessment of patient feedback in a
clinical setting.
Conclusion: The revised 21-item PFQ measures a single construct. Our work supports the
hypothesis that the revised PFQ online version is both valid and reliable, and that the KIDMAP
module is good at its designated task. Further research is needed to confirm data congruence for
patients with chronic diseases.
