Table 3.

Factor loadings form the results of exploratory factor analysis, inter-item correlation coefficients and internal consistency reliability of the HDI questionnaire.

	Factor loading	Inter-item correlation coefficients	Cronbach's a if item deleted
Does your patient organization take part in reforms or crucial decisions in health policy?	0.81	0.72	0.81
Does your patient organization take part in workshops or panels held at the Ministry of Health?	0.78	0.68	0.82
Does your patient organization take part in workshops or panels in other important organizations, pertinent to health?	0.78	0.69	0.82
Does your patient organization take part in boards of hospitals?	0.59	0.46	0.84
Does your patient organization take part in Ethics Committees for clinical trials?	0.66	0.54	0.84
Does your patient organization take part in Health Technology Assessment procedures?	0.76	0.65	0.82
Does your patient organization is present in the national parliament during decision making for important health policies/issues?	0.55	0.44	0.85
How often do you observe a substantial change in the content of a health policy decision as a result of interference from a patient organization? (yours or another's)	0.61	0.50	0.84