Comparing UK patients' experiences of NHS audiology care using a newly translated English version of the consumer quality index (CQI) 'audiology care' questionnaire.

Abstract

Objective: Following the adaptation of a patient-reported experience measure (PREM) of "Audiology Care", based on the Consumer Quality Index (CQI), from a Dutch to a UK context, we compared patient experiences of the prescription and fitting process for first-time adult hearing aid (HA) users in two different venues affiliated to the same organisation.

Design: The adapted PREM consisted of 32 questions and 7 subscales.

Study sample: The PREM was posted to a group of 1821 NHS patients who had received a first HA fitting via a social enterprise within the past 12 months at either a Hospital or High Street venue. 967 (53%, 796 Hospital, 171 High Street) patients responded and were included in the study.

Results: For two out of seven subscales the mean patient ratings for the two venues showed statistically significant differences: "Accommodation and Facilities" and "Waiting Times". In both cases the differences were very small. Internal consistency of subscales ranged from 0.36-0.81 with only three subscales showing good or acceptable values: "Conduct of Employees", "Expertise of Employees" and "Arranging Appointments".

Conclusion: This translated and adapted PREM can be a useful tool to standardise assessment and reporting of patient experiences of first-time HA users in the UK.