Questionnaire on Attitude towards Research and Care (QuARC): a survey of patients with psychosis

BACKGROUND: The patients' appraisal, satisfaction and attitude toward research is crucial to obtain reliable information, in psychiatry frequently not objective. AIM: We operationalised the information derived from studies on satisfaction and attitude towards research and developed a standardized measure, whose internal consistency and factor structure was investigated. METHOD: The Questionnaire on Attitude towards Research and health Care (QuARC) is a 10-item self-report scale, administered to 116 patients with psychotic disorders participating in research protocols. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted and internal consistency evaluated. RESULTS: Two factors have been identified: one labelled External Factor, including items related to information on the received treatment, relationship with third parties, and one labelled Internal Factor with items related to the disorder, perceived well-being and contribution to scientific knowledge. Cronbach's alpha internal consistencies were good. CONCLUSIONS: The QuARC is easy to use, well accepted, with good psychometric properties. The constructs identified are different from the original issues addressed (i.e. attitude and satisfaction), prevailing different constructs closer to the patient opinion on the research and personal condition. These constructs identify dimensions useful to delineate and understand the patients' experience of participating in a scientific project as well as their satisfaction.