“Development and Validation of Primary Health Care-Dental Satisfaction Scale (PHC-DSS) Among Patients Receiving Dental Treatment at Primary Health Centres of Haryana, India”

Abstract Introduction Patient satisfaction is a key marker for quality of healthcare delivery and an important indicator for evaluation and improvement of healthcare services. While several studies have explored patient satisfaction parameters in tertiary care centres and large hospitals in India, very little attention has been paid to patient satisfaction at the primary care level regarding oral health services. Aim The study aimed to measure patient satisfaction and develop a primary health care-dental satisfaction scale (PHC-DSS) among patients receiving dental treatment at PHCs in Rohtak district, Haryana. Materials and Methods This study was carried out among adult patients receiving dental treatment at 15 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) of Rohtak District, Haryana. 13 patients were selected from each PHC based on probability proportional to size sampling. The questionnaire development was based on a literature search and previous studies on patient satisfaction in healthcare settings and was self-administered following the dental treatment. The Primary Health Care-Dental Satisfaction Scale (PHC-DSS) included 9 domains, involving 26 items. The face, content validity, and reliability of the scale were calculated. Results The face validity (S-FVI) of the questionnaire was 0.9 which is considered an excellent validity. The Scale Content validity (S-CVI) of the questionnaire was 0.89 which is considered good validity. The internal consistency (reliability) of the scale was 0.83. Conclusion The PHC-DSS provides a standardized instrument for assessing patient satisfaction with dental services at Primary Health Centres. It may serve as a valuable tool for quality improvement, programme evaluation, and evidence-based planning of primary oral healthcare services. Further validation across diverse populations and healthcare settings is recommended to establish its broader applicability.