Evaluation of a Patient Experience Tool in Dietetic Practice: Validation and Clinical Usage of the Assessment of Registered Dietitian Care Survey (ARCS).

PURPOSE: The study aim was to evaluate a patient experience survey, the Assessment of Registered Dietitian Care Survey (ARCS), that is aligned with a nutrition counselling approach (NCA) and evidence-based chronic disease care for use in outpatient registered dietitian (RD) practice.

METHODS: Criterion and construct validity were examined using Pearson correlation coefficients and principal components analyses, respectively. Reliability was examined using Pearson correlations and Cronbach's α. Acceptability was evaluated by survey response rate and readability. Kruskall-Wallis test was used to detect differences between RD scores.

RESULTS: A total of 479 survey packages were returned (46% response rate). Criterion validity indices were high (r = 0.91 and 0.94, P < 0.001) between Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) and NCA subscales, respectively, and lower with overall patient satisfaction (r = 0.63-0.65, P < 0.001). Construct validity revealed 2 factors for PACIC and NCA subscales. There was high internal reliability for the PACIC, 5As, and NCA (Cronbach's α > 0.7) and test-retest reliability showed an adequate consistency over time (r = 0.70, P < 0.05). The tool was able to detect differences in scores between RDs (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: More research is warranted to explore ceiling effects and sensitivity to intervention in similar practice settings. The NCA subscale has acceptable reliability and validity to measure patient experience of RD care.