Adaptation and Validation of a Questionnaire to Measure Satisfaction With Telephone Care Among Individuals Living With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract Background Individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) require routine medical follow-up. The usage of telephone care (TC) appointments increased because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We aimed to adapt a questionnaire to evaluate satisfaction with TC use and validate it among IBD individuals. Methods A committee of experts adapted the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire to the TC context and validated its use in individuals with IBD. This committee included three IBD gastroenterology care providers (GCPs), two IBD-patient partners, and two healthcare researchers. The committee evaluated the content validity of the adapted items to measure TC satisfaction. A pilot study assessed the readability and usability of the questionnaire. Individuals with IBD in Saskatchewan completed an online survey with the adapted questionnaire between December 2021 and April 2022. Data were analyzed using descriptive and correlational techniques. Psychometric analyses were conducted to examine the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. Results The committee of experts developed the Telephone Care Satisfaction Questionnaire (TCSQ patient), with 16 items and one overall item for TC satisfaction. After the pilot, 87 IBD individuals participated in the online survey. A strong correlation was observed between the 16-item standardized level of TC satisfaction and the overall item, r = 0.85 (95%CI 0.78–0.90, p < 0.001). The TCSQ patient had optimal internal reliability (α = 0.96). Two dimensions were identified in the exploratory factor analysis (i.e., TC usefulness and convenience). Conclusion The TCSQ patient is a valid and reliable measure of TC satisfaction among individuals with IBD. This questionnaire demonstrated excellent psychometric properties and we recommend its use. Lay Summary Phone care increased due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. There are tools to find out how happy patients are with different types of virtual care but none for measuring how happy patients are with phone care. We created a tool to find out how happy patients with inflammatory bowel disease are using phone care. The tool was tested with patients and was felt to work well. Using the tool may help to find ways to improve phone care for patients with inflammatory bowel disease.