Objective: To validate a Greek version of the structured self-reported 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) and determine its psychometric properties in patients with chronic illnesses. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a small public hospital and a public health care centre, in a rural town in western Greece. The sample consisted of 100 patients with various chronic illnesses. Data were collected between January-May 2011, on the Greek version of the MMAS-8 and Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ). Results: Scale's reliability analysis revealed an overall Cronbach's alpha of 0.753 and the corrected item to total correlations, were greater than 0.30 for each of the 8 items comprising the medication adherence scale, showing good internal consistency. Convergent validity was supported by a significant correlation between the present scale's total score and the BMQ-Specific Necessity score (Spearman's rho = 0.492, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The current study showed acceptable reliability and validity of the Greek version of the 8-item MMAS to measure adherence to medications for various chronic illnesses. The validated Greek version of the MMAS-8 can help towards understanding adherence barriers in Greece so as to develop effective strategies to increase adherence and reduce the costs.

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BackgroundThere is scarcity of questionnaires specifically on the quality of the nursing care provided to patients diagnosed with cancer. The available questionnaires have been developed without attributing a holistic approach to the care provided with important patient’s needs remaining without assessment. The main aim was to develop a self-administered cancer specific questionnaire exploring patients’ views on quality nursing care provided in oncology settings.MethodsThe development of the scale proceeded through three phases. As part of the first development phase areas of concern and items of interest were identified through a literature review. The second phase included a pilot study of the QONCS and a subsequent validation phase through a multicentre study in 3 hospitals, 4 departments and 418 patients diagnosed with cancer and receiving care as inpatients. The study was designed to select items, identify dimensions, measure reliability, content and construct validity.ResultsThe QONCS consisted of 34 items. A factorial analysis grouped the items into five categories that define quality nursing care: a) Being supported and confirmed, b) Spiritual caring c) Sense of belonging, d) Being valued and e) Being respected. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.95 for the entire questionnaire. The factor solution explained 68.53% of the variance.ConclusionsQONCS appears to measure with adequate reliability and validity the attributes of quality nursing care within the oncological settings and to patients with a variety of cancer diagnoses and at different phases of the cancer trajectory. The instrument is quick to disseminate and easy to complete, making it a suitable instrument for nursing professionals to evaluate patients’ self-perceived quality of nursing care as a mean to promote the quality of the care provided in oncological settings.

Background and Purpose:Ethical climate provides the context in which ethical behavior and decision-making occur. To test the psychometric properties of the Greek version of the Hospital Ethical Climate Survey (HECS) in cancer care settings.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study with 235 cancer nurses. Principal component analysis (PCA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were examined. Reliability was investigated with Cronbach’s coefficient α.Results:Cronbach’s α was 0.86 for the HECS total and ranged from 0.71 to 0.85 for the five subscales. PCA revealed that five components accounted for 61.09% of the variance which were comparable to those produced in the original validation study. The CFA with the five factors identified, produced a model with a good fit.Conclusion:The Greek version of the HECS is valid and reliable for use within the cancer care context.

BackgroundThe current healthcare climate is characterized by a constant battle for the provision of quality care with limited resources and with patient satisfaction receiving increased attention, there is a need for reliable and valid assessment measures. This study describes the adaptation, testing and validation of the Risser Patient satisfaction Scale in an oncology care setting in Greece. The rationale for this study lies in the scarcity of such measures in the Greek language.MethodsThis is a test retest validation study in Greece. Data were collected from 298 hospitalized cancer patients. The validation methodology included the assessment of the item internal consistency, using the Cronbach alpha coefficient. The test-retest reliability was tested by the Kappa correlation coefficient.ResultsThe scale demonstrated very good psychometric properties. The internal consistency of the instrument was good, Cronbach’s alpha was found to be 0.78 (p<0.001) and Kappa coefficient for reproducibility was found to be K=0.89 (95% CI: 0.83-0.91 p<0.0001).ConclusionThe findings demonstrated strong agreement of the scale, suggesting that the Greek version offers substantial reliability. This study provides a valid and reliable tool to assess patient satisfaction in oncology settings. Means to monitor patient satisfaction, a key aspect of the policy agenda for quality care remain important for nurse leaders to develop better care in oncology settings.

The European environment offers an ideal setting to examine satisfaction variations among patients. Although the findings demonstrated a positively skewed attitude by the patients towards the care provided by the nurses in both countries, these findings also revealed significant differences. The patients' experiences were explored in light of variations in culture, health systems and the actual differences in quality as perceived by patients.

At present, in Greece, which is in an economic crisis and undergoing reforms in public administration, there is an undeniable effort being made to give primary health care the position it deserves within the health system. There is an urgent need at central and academic levels to develop home healthcare services to improve the quality and efficiency of the services provided.