Psychometric properties of a physiotherapy care satisfaction scale using telerehabilitation in caregivers of pediatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Evidence on the psychometric properties of satisfaction scales in telerehabilitation is limited, especially in specific populations such as caregivers of children. Objective: To determine the psychometric properties of a physiotherapy care satisfaction scale using telerehabilitation in caregivers of pediatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A total of 155 caregivers were evaluated between June and December 2020. Approximately 91% (141) were women. Evidence of content validity for the scale was obtained through evaluation by three expert judges, who confirmed the adaptation of the University of Washington Telemedicine Patient Satisfaction Survey, in which the word "telemedicine" was replaced with "telerehabilitation" and "physician" with "physical therapist." Results: For the confirmatory factor analysis, two models were tested. The first one-factor model with nine items did not fit satisfactorily based on the goodness-of-fit indices (chi(2)/df = 13.96, comparative fit index [CFI] = 0.963, non-normed fit index [NNFI] = 0.951, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = 0.290 [0.265, 0.316], and standardized root mean square residual [SRMR] = 0.178). In contrast, the second one-factor model, which involved respecification of Items 6 and 7, was considered acceptable (chi(2)/df = 1.60, CFI = 0.998, NNFI = 0.998, RMSEA = 0.062 [0.021, 0.096], and SRMR = 0.057). Reliability was acceptable, with a value of 0.888. Additionally, network analysis confirmed the direct relationship between the items, with Item 7 showing the greatest strength centrality. Conclusion: The instrument demonstrated sufficient evidence of validity and reliability in the Peruvian context, supporting its use with pediatric patients.