Staff satisfaction with team conferences: Development of a questionnaire

The Rehabilitation Activities Profile (RAP) is part of RAP-TEAM which is a novel method for structuring multidisciplinary team conferences. As such, RAP-TEAM is intended to facilitate interdisciplinary team work in rehabilitation medicine. Before the effects of RAP-TEAM in team conferences can be studied, an assessment method had to be chosen. A questionnaire was considered the most appropriate. The present study describes the development of this questionnaire and its psychometric evaluation. Questions were drafted from three sources: literature, team conference observations, and discussion with professionals from various disciplines. Questions were divided among five dimensions: (1) problem analysis, (2) planning intervention, (3) evaluation, (4) organization, and (5) common viewpoint. For psychometric evaluation the questionnaire was completed by 39 professionals of various rehabilitation disciplines. After analysis of homogeneity (values of Cronbach's alpha range from 0.70 to 0.84), the predesigned dimension structure of the questionnaire was studied. The predesigned dimension structure could not be confirmed. Only one new dimension appears to be present which is post hoc defined as 'a professional's satisfaction with team conferences'. Homogeneity of this singular dimension is 0.92. Face and content validity of questions were established during construction of the questionnaire. Response to the questionnaire was not biased by social desirability. It is concluded that the questionnaire can be used to study the effects of RAP-TEAM.