Measuring Integrated Care from the Perspective of Patients: Adaptation and Validation of a Generic Patient Reported Questionnaire (PPIC)

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Wolfgang Greiner; Professor Dr. Thomas Kohlmann
• Subject Area: Public Health, Healthcare Research, Social and Occupational Medicine
• Term: from 2015 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 277150709

As different types and levels of integrated care are adopted in Germany to improve its fragmented health care system, evaluating the impact of these initiatives on patient outcomes becomes crucial. These outcomes are particularly relevant to health policy research, health care providers, health service management and research and quality improvement projects. We propose to adapt and validate a German version of The Patient Perceptions of Integrated Care Questionnaire (PPIC) which elicits patient experiences and patient centered outcomes of integrated care. Along with the adapted PPIC, we will also provide supporting documentation and reference values. Questionnaire adaptation will involve forward and backward translations of the PPIC; interviewing patients as well as health care experts regarding the instrument; and pre-testing the German PPIC in a small group of patients. Because there is no gold standard for measurement of integrated care, we will recruit patient groups known to differ in levels of integrated care to test validity of this instrument. We will compare patients enrolled and patients not enrolled in integrated care: back pain, injury and ambulatory patients. We will assess acceptability, dimensionality and construct validity. The German PPIC will be made available for researchers and/or other stakeholders interested in assessing integrated care.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: USA
• Cooperation Partner: Professorin Dr. Sara Singer