Development and Psychometric Evaluation of Speech and Language Pathology Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (SLP-EBPQ)

Abstract

Background: To date, there is no specific instrument to measure evidence-based practice (EBP) in Speech and Language Pathology (SLP). Therefore, it is essential to design a valid and reliable instrument in the EBP field for SLP. Aim: To develop a speech and language pathology evidence-based practice questionnaire (SLP-EBPQ) for the Iranian context and evaluate its psychometric properties. Method: This study was performed in two stages, first development of the instrument based on the literature review and semi-structured interviews with 14 speech and language pathologists and second the evaluation of the psychometric properties. Content validity of the instrument was assessed by SLP experts who were experienced in the field of EBP. Furthermore, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and comparison of the recognized groups were conducted to determine the initial construct validity of the SLP-EBPQ. The reliability of the questionnaire was determined using internal consistency and test-retest reliability. A total of 280 speech and language pathologists completed SLP-EBPQ to evaluate construct validity and internal consistency. Furthermore, 30 speech and language pathologists completed the SLP-EBPQ after 2 weeks for test-retest reliability. Results: The developed instrument was a questionnaire with 77 items. The results of EFA demonstrated that the SLP-EBPQ contained nine factors with appropriate internal consistency (α=0.635-0.885). Moreover, the Intra-class Correlation coefficient of the factors was (r=0.814-0.966) in the test-retest reliability. Implications for Practice: The SLP-EBPQ is a valid and reliable instrument and can be applied to evaluate EBP among speech and language pathologists for educational, clinical, or research purposes.