A Norwegian adaptation of the quality in psychiatric care - inpatient staff (QPC-IPS): psychometric evaluation and staff assessment of quality of care.

Abstract

Background: The restructuring and decentralization of psychiatric services in Norway, aligning with global trends, has sparked debate on quality assurance. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the Quality in Psychiatric Care - Inpatient Staff (QPC-IPS). Additionally, it sought to investigate the sociodemographic and work-related factors associated with staff perceptions of the quality of inpatient psychiatric care that they provide.

Material and methods: The Swedish QPC-IPS, a 30-item, 6-dimension tool, was thoroughly translated for the Norwegian psychiatric care setting. A web survey, including the QPC-IPS and sociodemographic and work-related items, was distributed to the mental health staff of two Norwegian health trusts, yielding 117 responses.

Results: The adapted version underwent confirmatory factor analysis, revealing a factor structure consistent with the original QPC-IPS and its versions in other languages. Staff generally reported high-quality care, with the highest for the secluded environment and the lowest for the secure environment. Positive associations were found between quality perceptions and factors, such as professional development, openness to quality assurance, and participation in quality work. Psychosocial environments and staff mental health were positively linked to quality-of-care dimensions and the staff recommendations correlated with their perception of patients' experiences of quality of care.

Conclusions: The Norwegian QPC-IPS demonstrated adequate psychometric properties, facilitating its use in assessing psychiatric care staff's perception of patients' experiences of quality of care. Insights from staff perspectives contribute to identifying areas for improvement in inpatient psychiatric care, thereby enhancing cross-cultural comparisons and theory development in this domain.