Development and evaluation of a satisfaction scale for parents of children with special health care needs

Objective. This article describes the development and evaluation of the Multidimensional Assessment of Parental Satisfaction (MAPS) for Children With Special Needs, a tool for measuring satisfaction with providers at the individual level of care. Methods. Two studies were conducted. The first study created and pilot-tested the scale, using data from 158 parents of children with 4 selected chronic conditions to calculate estimates of reliability and validity. Initial psychometric characteristics were sufficiently strong to warrant further testing. The second study was a field trial of the 12-item MAPS, using data from 302 parents of children with diverse chronic conditions. Results. Reliability estimates were >. 85. The scale's discriminative validity was supported by sharp distinctions between satisfaction ratings for different types of providers. Correlations in the .80s with general satisfaction items indicated strong concurrent validity. Factor analysis revealed a single factor. Conclusions. The MAPS has psychometric integrity. Assessing satisfaction for children with special health care needs is a complex, necessary part of a comprehensive assessment of quality of care.