Psychometric evaluation of the Telenursing Interaction and Satisfaction Scale

Abstract

Aims and objectives: Interaction between caller and telenurse in telenursing is important for caller satisfaction and subsequent compliance. Despite this, satisfaction measures with focus on interaction in telenursing are scarce and rarely anchored in nursing theory. The aim was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Telenursing Interaction and Satisfaction Scale (TISS) with focus on data quality, factor structure, convergent validity, and reliability.

Methodological design and justification: This psychometric study was based on cross-sectional data.

Research methods, instruments, and/or interventions: Callers to the National Medical Advisory Service in Sweden (n = 616) completed the 60-item Telenursing Interaction and Satisfaction Questionnaire based on Cox's Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior. Twenty-five of these items were selected to form the TISS in four subscales according to the model. Data quality was evaluated in terms of missing data patterns and score distributions. The factor structure was evaluated with confirmatory factor analysis for ordinal data, convergent validity with Spearman correlations, internal consistency with ordinal alpha, scale reliability with composite reliability coefficients, and test-retest reliability with intraclass correlations.

Results: The amount of missing data was acceptable and equally distributed. Data deviated significantly from a normal distribution. All response options were endorsed. The factor analysis confirmed the hypothesised four-factor structure; factor loadings ranged from 0.56 to 0.97 and factor correlations were high (0.88-0.96). Internal consistency (ordinal alpha = 0.82-0.97), scale reliability (0.88-0.99), and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.77-0.86) were satisfactory for all scales.

Study limitations: The study design did not allow drop-out analysis.

Conclusions: The TISS showed satisfactory psychometric properties in the study sample. It provides a measure that enables quantitative measurement of caller satisfaction with interaction in telenursing.

Keywords: interaction; nurse-patient relations; patient satisfaction; psychometrics; surveys and questionnaires; telenursing; telephone nursing.