The accident and emergency department questionnaire: A measure for patients' experiences in the accident and emergency department-reply

摘要

The purpose of our research was to examine alternative ways of obtaining a reliable composite, but we do not negate the important information from separate questions. Single questionnaire items are less reliable than well-constructed composites,1 but are able to provide specific information whereas composites give more of a 'headline' performance summary. In addition to composite scores, it would be important to look at other contextual information when learning the lessons from survey responses; for example, do other surveys or patient comments give a similar indication and, if not, why might this be? This is particularly important where organisations are likely to have access to feedback from a range of sources, as is certainly the case in the English National Health Service.