Introduction: Although home healthcare is one of the oldest types of care there are no instruments concerning public’s perceptions on it.
Purpose: Development and testing of the home healthcare perception questionnaire.
Method: Knowledge scale and attitude scale were constructed using Classic Test Theory. A cross-sectional survey was employed to collect data for the pilot study. The study took place in the Metaxa Oncology Hospital, Pireas, Greece in a convenience sample of 100 persons (October-December, 2010). Ethical approval was granted by the hospital’s board and scientific committee.
Results: Correlational analysis was used to test stability reliability resulting in a Pearson coefficient rp=0.81 (p<0.001) for the knowledge scale and in a rp=0.67 (p<0.01) for the attitude scale. Internal consistency reliability was tested (a) by using Cronbach’s α coefficient which resulted in an α=0.75 for the knowledge scale and in an α=0.85 for the attitude scale and (b) by employing factor analysis which resulted in 4 factors for the knowledge scale and in 9 factors for the attitude scale.
Conclusion: 14 items were developed for the knowledge scale and 32 items for the attitude scale that attribute satisfactory public’s perceptions.
Key words: home healthcare, hospice healthcare, knowledge and attitude on home healthcare, questionnaire development.