A patient expectations questionnaire for determining criteria for entrustment decisions

Introduction: To train health professionals for patient-centered care, patient engagement in medical curriculum development and assessment is widely recommended. But there are few published methods on how to consult with patients effectively, particularly when creating entrustable professional activities (EPAs). In this mixed-method study, we developed a questionnaire for facilitating patient input when developing EPA assessment criteria. Methods: We developed a questionnaire for documenting patient expectations of their doctors which included: patient interviews to identify questionnaire items, expert validation, cognitive interviews with respondents, and finally, pilot testing. For the pilot testing, 87 participants with a variety of health problems from medical/surgical wards and outpatient clinics at a tertiary hospital were recruited. The final questionnaire included open-ended and ranking-style questions. Results: Using the questionnaire, patients could identify their key expectations of their doctors when managing their current medical problem. Most patients wrote clear, brief free-text responses directly applicable to EPA descriptors that were time-efficient to analyze. Conclusions: The questionnaire is a feasible method of recording patient expectations, enabling educators to consult with and include patient perspectives when developing criteria for entrustment decisions in a diverse range of clinical contexts.