Development and Psychometric Evaluation of Maternity Care Quality in Maternity Units Scale (MCQ-MUS)

Introduction: Despite improvements in the accessibility of maternity care worldwide, Maternity Care Quality (MCQ) has not proportionately improved. A prerequisite to MCQ improvement is careful MCQ assessment using valid and reliable instruments. Objective: This study aims to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of the MCQ in Maternity Units Scale (MCQ-MUS). Methods: This study, with an exploratory sequential mixed methods design, was conducted in two phases of development and psychometric evaluation. In the first phase, a hybrid concept analysis was employed to define the concept and develop the questionnaire items. In the psychometric evaluation phase, we assessed face validity, content validity, construct validity (tested on 220 midwives using exploratory factor analysis), internal consistency (using Cronbach’s alpha), and test-retest reliability (using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient [ICC]) of the questionnaire. Results: Based on the factor analysis, 39 items were loaded on four factors: professional care, appropriate human and physical resources, effective interaction and communication, and professional commitment, which explained 49.61% of the total variance. The Cronbach’s alpha and ICC values for the entire scale were 0.936 and 0.945, respectively. Conclusion: The MCQ-MUS is a valid and reliable instrument that can be used to assess the MCQ in maternity units.