Development of the Patient and Public Involvement Questionnaire (PPIQ) for Canadian Drug Funding Committees

Abstract Background There is limited evidence evaluating the impact of patient and public involvement in setting priorities for healthcare, specifically drug funding recommendation committees. We describe the development phases of the Patient and Public Involvement Questionnaire (PPIQ). Methods The development of the PPIQ was informed by previous work, which established nine criteria to evaluate patient and public involvement. The PPIQ was developed with a multi-method, multi-phased approach: 1) item generation and refinement (item bank creation, user feedback sessions); 2) sensibility testing (using Feinstein’s criteria and structured interviews); and 3) pilot testing with drug funding committee’s in Canada. Results In phase one of development, a bank of 846 items were derived from key informant interviews and a literature review. Guided by the nine evaluation criteria, an initial draft of the PPIQ was created using the item bank. Two user feedback sessions (n=7) resulted in further revisions of the PPIQ. In phase two, participants (n=21) completed a sensibility questionnaire with a median score 6 out of 7 on 80% of items. Interview participants (n=14) articulated the PPIQ was clear and appropriate. In phase three, response rate for pilot testing the PPIQ was 25% (n=14) and the average time for participants to complete the PPIQ was 00:19:00 minutes (SD ± 13:46). Conclusions The methods used for the development of the PPIQ including qualitative interviews, literature review, user feedback, sensibility and pilot testing have resulted in a questionnaire that may be used with committees making drug funding recommendations in Canada.