Consumer assessment of the quality of interpersonal processes of prenatal care among ethnically diverse low-income women: Development of a new measure

Wong, Sabrina T.; Korenbrot, Carol C.; Stewart, Anita L.

doi:10.1016/j.whi.2004.04.003

« PreviousWomen's Health Issues
Volume 14, Issue 4 , Pages 118-129, July 2004

Consumer assessment of the quality of interpersonal processes of prenatal care among ethnically diverse low-income women: Development of a new measure

Sabrina T. Wong, PhD, RN
- University of British Columbia School of Nursing, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- University of California, San Francisco Medical Effectiveness Research Center for Diverse Populations, San Francisco, California, USA
- Correspondence to: Sabrina T. Wong, PhD, RN, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver BC V6T-2B5, Canada
Carol C. Korenbrot, PhD
- University of California, San Francisco Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and the Institute for Health Policy Studies, San Francisco, California, USA
- University of California, San Francisco Medical Effectiveness Research Center for Diverse Populations, San Francisco, California, USA
Anita L. Stewart, PhD
- University of California, San Francisco Institute for Health and Aging, San Francisco, California, USA
- University of California, San Francisco Medical Effectiveness Research Center for Diverse Populations, San Francisco, California, USA

Received 10 November 2003; received in revised form 8 March 2004; accepted 5 April 2004.

Abstract

Purpose

Consumer assessments of interpersonal processes of care during prenatal care provide important information about how well clinicians satisfy the perceived needs of the women they serve, but few measures are available that tap the various components of these processes. The purpose of this study is to develop a multidimensional measure of prenatal interpersonal processes of care (PIPC) that demonstrates reliability and validity in ethnically diverse women in Medicaid managed care plans.

Methods

A telephone survey of African American, Latino (U.S. and foreign born) and Caucasian pregnant women in four Medicaid managed care plans in California was conducted in English and Spanish in 2001. Factor analytic methods were used to test the PIPC measures. A psychometric evaluation, including reliability, variability, and construct validity, was conducted with the final scales for the total sample and for each racial/ethnic group.

Results

Three dimensions, Communication, Patient-Centered Decision Making, and Interpersonal Style, with seven scales were supported with 30 items. The scales for each dimension exhibit acceptable reliability for the total sample (Internal Consistency Reliability ranged from 0.66 to 0.85) and for all racial/ethnic groups. All scales had significant associations with satisfaction with prenatal care and explained considerable variation in satisfaction (19–43%). The scale qualities and validity associations held for all scales and ethnic groups except some scales for U.S.-born Latinas.

Conclusions

The multidimensional PIPC measure for assessing what actually happens between providers and low-income pregnant women of diverse ethnic groups demonstrates acceptable reliability and construct validity.