Melanie D Whittington1, Adam J Atherly2, Li Wu Chen3, Lisa VanRaemdonck4, Sarah Lampe5. 1. Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA. 2. Center for Health Services Research, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA. 3. College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA. 4. School of Public Affairs Institute, School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA. 5. Trailhead Institute for Public Health Innovation, Denver, CO, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Public health accreditation is a 7-step process that starts with a period of preapplication during which a health department assesses its readiness for accreditation. However, no tools with established reliability and validity that quantitatively measure a local health department's (LHD's) capacity for accreditation are available to complete this initial step. We developed and validated a survey to measure accreditation capacity for LHDs. METHODS: From January through April 2015, we administered a cross-sectional electronic survey instrument with 15 questions that tapped into domains of capacity for public health accreditation. We analyzed and grouped responses by using a confirmatory maximum likelihood factor analysis with oblique rotations. We assessed reliability by using Cronbach α, and we assessed validity by comparing responses with previously established instruments. We administered the survey to 174 LHD directors in Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska, 153 (88%) of whom responded. RESULTS: The factor analysis produced a 3-factor model of accreditation capacity, suggesting that accreditation capacity depends on 3 distinct latent constructs: support for accreditation, preparation, and planning and approach. The model had good scale reliability (average Cronbach α = 0.7) and validity (average factor correlation = 0.43). CONCLUSIONS: The survey developed and scored in this analysis can be used by LHDs to inform the feasibility of initiating the time-intensive and costly process of accreditation.
OBJECTIVES: Public health accreditation is a 7-step process that starts with a period of preapplication during which a health department assesses its readiness for accreditation. However, no tools with established reliability and validity that quantitatively measure a local health department's (LHD's) capacity for accreditation are available to complete this initial step. We developed and validated a survey to measure accreditation capacity for LHDs. METHODS: From January through April 2015, we administered a cross-sectional electronic survey instrument with 15 questions that tapped into domains of capacity for public health accreditation. We analyzed and grouped responses by using a confirmatory maximum likelihood factor analysis with oblique rotations. We assessed reliability by using Cronbach α, and we assessed validity by comparing responses with previously established instruments. We administered the survey to 174 LHD directors in Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska, 153 (88%) of whom responded. RESULTS: The factor analysis produced a 3-factor model of accreditation capacity, suggesting that accreditation capacity depends on 3 distinct latent constructs: support for accreditation, preparation, and planning and approach. The model had good scale reliability (average Cronbach α = 0.7) and validity (average factor correlation = 0.43). CONCLUSIONS: The survey developed and scored in this analysis can be used by LHDs to inform the feasibility of initiating the time-intensive and costly process of accreditation.
Keywords:
accreditation; capacity; factor analysis; psychometrics; public health