The Patient Experience of Integrated Care Scale: A Validation Study among Patients with Chronic Conditions Seen in Primary Care

Introduction: Valid and comprehensive instruments to measure integrated care are required to capture patient experience and improve quality of patient care. This study aimed to validate the Patient Experience of Integrated Care Scale (PEICS), among patients with chronic conditions seen in primary care. 

Methods: One hundred and fifty-nine (159) French-speaking adults with at least one chronic condition were recruited in two family medicine clinics in Quebec (Canada) and completed the 17-item PEICS (T1). Fifty (50) participants completed it a second time 2 weeks later (T2). The internal consistency of the scale was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, the test-retest reliability with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and concurrent validity using three dimensions of the Continuity of Care from Multiple Clinicians (CC-MC), with Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients. 

Results: Cronbach’s alpha for the questionnaire was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.85 to 0.91). The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.81 (95% CI: 0.64 to 0.90) and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient with the three dimensions of the CC-MC varied from 0.44 to 0.54. 

Conclusions and discussion: The PEICS showed good psychometric properties. This scale could be used in a population with chronic conditions followed in primary care to measure patient experience of integrated care.