Development, testing, and validation of a patient satisfaction questionnaire for use in the clinical genetics setting.

Patient satisfaction is an important component of assessing quality of care. The purpose of this study is to develop a concise patient satisfaction tool specifically for use in the clinical genetics setting. An international survey identified two domains, "Respect Given" and "Patient Questions Answered" as being important components of satisfaction in the genetic encounter. A working group of professionals assembled a 14-question pilot questionnaire that was subsequently tested in 13 clinical sites. Nearly 400 responses were used to validate the tool and ultimately construct a 7-item questionnaire. The 7-item questionnaire was found to be reliable and valid and addresses two key components of patient satisfaction: technical aspects of care and interpersonal relations. The tool is compared to other patient satisfaction tools developed for use in the clinical genetics setting. A Spanish version is also provided. 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.