Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36759840›Full record

SynthesisBMC health services research2023

Tools for measuring client experiences and satisfaction with healthcare in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review of measurement properties.

Susan Banda, Nthanda Nkungula, Isabel Kazanga Chiumia, Jamie Rylance, Felix Limbani

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC health services research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Scoping Review of Outcome Measures Used in Lived Experience-Led Mental Health Services.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Susan BandaMalawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Program, P.O. Box 30096, Chichiri, Blantyre 3, Malawi. subanda94@gmail.com.
Nthanda NkungulaHealth Economics and Policy Unity, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi.
Isabel Kazanga ChiumiaHealth Economics and Policy Unity, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi.
Jamie RylanceMalawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Program, P.O. Box 30096, Chichiri, Blantyre 3, Malawi.
Felix LimbaniMalawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Program, P.O. Box 30096, Chichiri, Blantyre 3, Malawi.

Funding

Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPerspectives of patients as clients on healthcare offer unique insights into the process and outcomes of care and can facilitate improvements in the quality of services. Differences in the tools used to measure these perspectives often reflect differences in the conceptualization of quality of care and personal experiences. This systematic review assesses the validity and reliability of instruments measuring client experiences and satisfaction with healthcare in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

methodsWe performed a systematic search of studies published in PubMed, SCOPUS, and CINAHL. This review was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies describing the development and psychometric properties of client experience and satisfaction with general health care were included in the review. Critical appraisal of study design was undertaken using the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS). The Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) checklist and Terwee's criteria were used to appraise the psychometric properties of the included studies. A narrative synthesis approach was used in the interpretation of the findings.

resultsOf the 7470 records identified, 12 studies with 14 corresponding instruments met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final review. No study assessed all the psychometric properties highlighted by the COSMIN criteria. In most instruments, we found evidence that initial development work incorporated client participation. The most evaluated measurement properties were content validity, internal consistency, and structural validity. Measurement error and responsiveness were not reported in any study.

conclusionReliability and validity should be considered important elements when choosing or developing an instrument for professionals seeking an effective instrument for use within the population. Our review identified limitations in the psychometric properties of patient experience and satisfaction instruments, and none met all methodological quality standards. Future studies should focus on further developing and testing available measures for their effectiveness in clinical practice. Furthermore, the development of new instruments should incorporate clients' views and be rigorously tested or validated in studies with high methodological quality.

trial registrationCRD42020150438.

Indexed as

Delivery of Health CareDeveloping CountriesCross-Sectional StudiesHealth FacilitiesHumansPsychometricsReproducibility of ResultsClient experiencesClient satisfaction; Patient-centered careHealthcare qualityInstrumentsLow- and middle-income countriesSystematic reviewTools

Identifiers

PMID36759840
PMCPMC9909903

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.