| Study A | Study B | Study C |
---|---|---|---|
Main objective | Scale shortening: to delete items with high non applicable response rate | Replication phase: to confirm internal structure of the new version | Test of a new response choice system to improve psychometric properties |
Date of study | April 2002 | June 2003 | October 2004 |
Number of participating centers | 1 teaching hospital | 1 teaching hospital | 12 hospitals (5 teaching, 3 general and 4 private) |
Inclusion criteria | - French-speaking | Â | |
 | - Able to complete a questionnaire |  | |
 | - Aged 18 and over |  | |
 | - Hospitalized full-time for at least 24 hours |  | |
 | - In medicine, obstetric and surgical units Eligible patients were included consecutively |  | |
Exclusion criteria | - Language barrier | Â | Â |
 | - Inability due to illness |  |  |
 | - Children |  |  |
 | - Refusal |  |  |
 | - Outpatients |  |  |
Number of questionnaires distributed | 662 | 1600 | 2125 |
Too ill to participate | 87(13%) | 245(15%) | Â |
Language barrier | 9(1.4%) | 26(1.6%) | Â |
Refused to participate | 23(4%) | 83(6%) | Â |
Number of respondents (Response rate, calculated from number of questionnaires distributed) | 552 (83.4%) | 1246 (77.9%) | 886 (41.7%) |
Mode of completion of the questionnaire (Q) | - Q handed to patient by research assistant the day before discharge | - Q send by post 15 days after discharge at home with a prepaid envelope | |
 | - Self-completion at hospital of the Q | - Self – completion of the Q | |
 | - Q handed to the assistant in a sealed envelope | - Q sent back by mail using the prepaid envelope | |
Version of EQS-H used | 26 items: | 16 items: | 16 items: |
 | - 13 for MI1 subscale | - 9 for MI subscale | - 8 for MI subscale |
 | - 13 for RS2 subscale 4 point Likert-scale* | - 7 for RS subscale 4 point Likert-scale* | - 8 for RS subscale 5 point Likert-scale** |