Design and validation of the Satisfaction With Immunisation Service Questionnaire (SWISQ)

Adverse experiences with child immunisation services can contribute to the deferral of immunisation appointments and to non-attendance. The aim of this study was to design and validate the Satisfaction With Immunisation Service Questionnaire (SWISQ) as a tool that can be used by general practices to evaluate their service and identify areas of dissatisfaction. The 19-item SWISQ was derived from past literature and qualitative interviews. Readability statistics, pilot testing and respondent feedback provided evidence of acceptability. The SWISQ was completed by 103 parents attending for their child's or children's vaccinations at four practices in southern England. The measure demonstrated excellent psychometric properties. Principal components analysis identified three subscales (Organisation/interface with practice (alpha 0.74); Consultation experience (0.94); Listening/respecting decisions (0.87)) and an Overall satisfaction scale (0.94). Overall satisfaction was unrelated to parents’ age, gender or questionnaire response mode. However, satisfaction with waiting times differed between practices. The SWISQ is a reliable and valid tool that can be used easily within the context of general practice. Further validation is needed to examine re-test reliability, construct and criterion validity, as well as some minor modifications in item content and wording.