Psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire

This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ) which assesses the satisfaction of adolescents with orthodontic treatment. The PSQ is a 58-item self-report instrument presenting six subscales (doctor-patient relationship, situational aspects, dentofacial improvement, psychosocial improvement, dental function, and a residual category). The psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the PSQ (B-PSQ) were assessed in a cross-sectional study with 111 adolescents between 11-18 years who had undergone orthodontic treatment. The sample's features and the questionnaire's characteristics (including the determination of the floor and ceiling effect) were assessed with descriptive statistics. The instrument's internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha and stability with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) in test-retest reliability. The convergent and discriminant construct validity was also assessed. Data included responses from 106 adolescents, of which 58 (54.7%) were female. The percentage of individuals reaching the floor effect was 0% in all subscales. In four subscales, the percentage of individuals reaching the ceiling effect was <15%. The B-PSQ showed excellent reliability for the total score (Cronbach's alpha=0.919; ICC=0.918), ranging from good to excellent for all subscales. B-PSQ's total score exhibited a high correlation with all five subscales (ρ>0.50). Scores of young adolescents (10-14 years) were significantly higher in the dental function (p=0.018) and situational aspects (p=0.003) subscales, showing the discriminant validity of the instrument. The B-PSQ has good psychometric properties regarding stability and appears to be a valuable instrument to assess the satisfaction of Brazilian adolescents with orthodontic treatment.