Final Instrument Research Articles

Prioritizing questions and topics for the development of guidelines and consensus-based recommendations supported by ILAE: A scoping review and proposal of prioritization criteria.

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and consensus-based recommendations (CBRs) require considerable effort, collaboration, and time-all within the constraints of finite resources. Professional societies, such as the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), must prioritize what topics and questions to address. Implementing evidence-based care remains a crucial challenge in clinical practice. Using rigorous processes to ensure that the best available research evidence informs health care recommendations is of the utmost importance. We aimed to develop a structured and transparent process for prioritizing future CPGs and CBRs supported by the ILAE. A multidisciplinary group of researchers and experts from the ILAE Prioritization Task Force conducted a scoping review to identify prioritization approaches for CPG and CBR development. This scoping review was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and Cochrane recommendations. A Problem/population, Concept, and Context (PCC) strategy was applied to the literature search and selection of the studies. We searched Medline/PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus without time or language limits. The findings were synthesized qualitatively. A consensus-based process was followed to develop a prioritization scoring tool for CPGs and another for CBRs. Thirty-nine participants, including clinicians, experts in the field, methodologists, and other relevant stakeholders, contributed to developing the final instrument (based on a 5-point Likert scale). Of 721 unique citations, 8 papers reporting prioritization approaches for guideline development were included. Based on these, we developed an initial tool with 10 criteria. It was iteratively optimized and revised by the ILAE Standards and Best Practice Council, which unanimously approved the instrument. The ILAE Executive Committee subsequently approved its final version. The ILAE Prioritization Tool is intended to standardize the prioritization processes and optimize the ILAE's use of resources to select CPGs and CBRs for endorsement.

PREVis: Perceived Readability Evaluation for Visualizations.

We developed and validated an instrument to measure the perceived readability in data visualization: PREVis. Researchers and practitioners can easily use this instrument as part of their evaluations to compare the perceived readability of different visual data representations. Our instrument can complement results from controlled experiments on user task performance or provide additional data during in-depth qualitative work such as design iterations when developing a new technique. Although readability is recognized as an essential quality of data visualizations, so far there has not been a unified definition of the construct in the context of visual representations. As a result, researchers often lack guidance for determining how to ask people to rate their perceived readability of a visualization. To address this issue, we engaged in a rigorous process to develop the first validated instrument targeted at the subjective readability of visual data representations. Our final instrument consists of 11 items across 4 dimensions: understandability, layout clarity, readability of data values, and readability of data patterns. We provide the questionnaire as a document with implementation guidelines on osf.io/9cg8j. Beyond this instrument, we contribute a discussion of how researchers have previously assessed visualization readability, and an analysis of the factors underlying perceived readability in visual data representations.

Self-Efficacy to Teach Students with Disabilities Across Instructional Placements for Physical Education Scale: Development and Validation

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a scale designed to measure physical educators’ self-efficacy and sources of information to teach students with disabilities across different types of instructional placements for physical education. Scale construction consisted of four phases: (a) item development, (b) content validity, (c) exploratory factor analysis, and (d) confirmatory factor analysis. Data from 268 (172 males; 86 females; five others; five undisclosed) and 169 (105 females; 64 males; one undisclosed) participants was used for exploratory factor analyses and confirmatory factor analyses, respectively. The final instrument is comprised of 29-items: 7-item (one-factor) self-efficacy scale and 8-item (two-factor) efficacy-relevant information subscale for teaching students with disabilities in integrated placements; 7-item (one-factor) self-efficacy scale and 7-item (two-factor) efficacy-relevant information subscale for teaching students with disabilities in self-contained placements. Results support the use of the Self-Efficacy to Teach Students with Disabilities Across Instruction Placements for Physical Education.

Validating an instrument for measuring community cultural wealth with biology majors at a Hispanic-serving institution.

Boosting underrepresented student persistence in STEM majors has been of interest for several years. Prior research has explored various factors that may influence student success and persistence in STEM majors. Specifically, some of these studies have employed Yosso's community cultural wealth framework to explore how a student's cultural wealth may link to certain outcomes. Most of these studies have taken a qualitative approach when exploring cultural wealth and less adopt a quantitative approach. Using biology students in an introductory biology class during the fall (n = 303) and spring semesters (n = 215) at a large Hispanic-serving institution in the southeastern United States, this study seeks to contribute to the literature by validating a previously constructed instrument with a new population. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted using principal axis factoring and an oblique rotation. EFA results revealed 10 dimensions of cultural wealth. Additionally, confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that the model produced properly measures the constructs as intended. Overall, the final 56-item instrument used in this study was validated and can be used for measuring cultural wealth in similar populations.

Development and validation of a broadly applicable instrument to measure patients' health promotion and empowerment process in chronic disease.

This study aimed to develop and validate a generic, non-disease-specific, self-assessment measure that recognizes patients' health capacities and their empowering process of health promotion in chronic illness by using Bodyknowledging as the theoretical frame. Item generation and expert content validity analysis were the first steps in instrument development. Potential items were then validated in focus group interviews with six patients diagnosed with various chronic diseases. The research team reviewed the resulting items and undertook item reduction. A sample of adults (n = 357) with chronic disease surveyed the instrument items. Exploratory factor analysis with Oblimin rotation was conducted. A 3-factor solution was identified: nine items on the regaining health and wellness subscale, seven items on the uncertainty and bereavement subscale, and eight items on the loss of control and distancing subscale. Cronbach alpha for the scale was .92. The final 24-item instrument is non-disease-specific and broadly applicable for use in health promotion within the context of chronic disease. The instrument demonstrates high internal consistency reliability with initial face and construct validity. The new instrument has the potential for measuring patients' empowering process of health promotion in chronic disease and the outcomes of person-centered interventions and may guide clinicians in tailoring individual support.

Psychometric Analysis of Validity and Reliability of The Indonesian Version of The Modified Fatigue Impact Scale in Chronic Disease Patients

Fatigue is a lack of physical or mental energy that can be felt by individuals and can disrupt daily activities. Fatigue causes a constant decrease in vitality, a lack of energy, and prevents sleep gaps from being filled, ultimately leading to a decline in productivity and quality of life. The prevalence of fatigue in chronic patients varies, as there is no specific data available. However, the prevalence of fatigue depends on the chronic disease in question, such as chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, and heart disease. To obtain a valid and reliable Indonesian version of the MFIS instrument that can measure fatigue in patients with chronic diseases. The sampling technique used was based on the population, using a non-probability sampling method with purposive sampling. The population in this study consisted of patients with chronic diseases (Diabetes Mellitus, Congestive Heart Failure, Stroke). The population was 244 respondents (4 respondents for language comprehension, 30 respondents for validity and reliability testing, and 210 respondents for the final instrument test). The validity test results, with a sample of (n=210 respondents), showed a loading factor value greater than 0.135, indicating that all MFIS items were valid and highly correlated. The reliability test (n=210 respondents) yielded a Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of 0.869. This study demonstrates that the Indonesian version of the MFIS instrument is valid and highly correlated. This instrument can be used to identify fatigue in chronic diseases and can serve as a guideline for nurses to implement fatigue interventions, thus helping to reduce and address fatigue issues in patients with chronic diseases.

Measuring cultural friction in cross-border mergers and acquisitions using a microfoundation-based approach

PurposeCultural friction (CF) was introduced by researchers to overcome the issues and challenges of cultural distance measurement in the context of cross-border mergers and acquisitions (CBMAs). However, this construct has proved itself to be problematic to operationalize. To address this challenge, this paper aims to elaborate on a CF measurement instrument based on individual perceptions in CBMAs. This study used a microfoundation approach to measure CF, relying on managers’ interactions in CBMA settings.Design/methodology/approachTo develop and validate a CF measurement in the context of CBMAs, this study followed a classical procedure including items development, lab tests and one field-study and an assessment of the construct validity.FindingsThe final instrument developed for measuring CF is composed of six critical incidents with three associated items each. The factor analysis revealed that the scale used in the field-test measures two factors of CF: internal and external. Reliability and discriminant validity are tested, demonstrating a good discriminant validity of “external” CF. The final measurement can be used as a valid and reliable scale in further studies to assess CF in the context of CBMAs.Originality/valueThis paper’s originality lies in developing and validating a CF measurement instrument that does not rely on cultural distance frameworks. The resulting scale shows the interest in considering micro-individual perceptions – the microfoundation level – for analyzing an organizational phenomenon as culture in CBMA contexts. Using a micro-founded approach, this study offers promising avenues for researchers who wish to study cultural interactions in international settings.

Establishing the effects of training and development on performance monitoring for implementation of performance contracting in the government ministries in Kenya

The study aimed to establish the effect of training on performance monitoring for implementation of performance contracting in the government ministries in Kenya. A mixed-method type of design was adopted. In sampling staff to be interviewed, top and middle-level management totalling 831 were identified. Thirty per cent of the 831 (249 staff members) considered it to be representative enough. The study adopted descriptive and inferential statistics. The study used ANOVA, regression analysis, and correlation to analyse the relationship between variables. Reliability of instruments was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, whose alpha value is equal to or greater than 0.70, which is considered sufficient. Content Validity Ratio (CVR) was calculated for each item, and items with a CVR value below 0.99 were eliminated. The final instrument comprised 22 items with CVR values ranging from 0.99 to 1.00. The study found that a unit standard deviation increase in effective training and development was likely to increase the standard deviation of performance monitoring by 0.096 on implementation of performance contracting. The study concludes that training and development have an effect on performance contracting in government ministries in Kenya. The study further recommends that transfer of training and development be included in the next review of the policy.

Critical Success Factors and Acceptance of the Casemix System Implementation Within the Total Hospital Information System: Exploratory Factor Analysis of a Pilot Study.

The health care landscape is evolving rapidly due to rising costs, an aging population, and the increasing prevalence of diseases. To address these challenges, the Ministry of Health of Malaysia implemented transformation strategies such as the Casemix system and hospital information system to enhance health care quality, resource allocation, and cost-effectiveness. However, successful implementation relies not just on the technology itself but on the acceptance and engagement of the users involved. This study aims to develop and refine items of a quantitative instrument measuring the critical success factors influencing acceptance of Casemix system implementation within the Ministry of Health's Total Hospital Information System (THIS). A cross-sectional pilot study collected data from medical doctors at a hospital equipped with the THIS in the federal territory of Putrajaya, Malaysia. This pilot study's minimum sample size was 125, achieved through proportionate stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a web-based questionnaire adapted from the human, organization, and technology-fit evaluation framework and the technology acceptance model. The pilot data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and the Cronbach α assessed internal reliability. Both analyses were conducted in SPSS (version 25.0; IBM Corp). This study obtained 106 valid responses, equivalent to an 84.8% (106/125) response rate. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy was 0.859, and the Bartlett test of sphericity yielded statistically significant results (P<.001). Principal component analysis identified 9 components explaining 84.07% of the total variance, surpassing the minimum requirement of 60%. In total, 9 unique slopes indicated the identification of 9 components through EFA. While no new components emerged from the other 7 constructs, only the organizational factors construct was divided into 2 components, later named organizational structure and organizational environment. In total, 98% (41/42) of the items had factor loadings of >0.6, leading to the removal of 1 item for the final instrument for the field study. EFA ultimately identified 8 main constructs influencing Casemix implementation within the THIS: system quality, information quality, service quality, organizational characteristics, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, intention to use, and acceptance. Internal reliability measured using the Cronbach α ranged from 0.914 to 0.969, demonstrating high reliability. This study provides insights into the complexities of EFA and the distinct dimensions underlying the constructs that influence Casemix system acceptance in the THIS. While the findings align with extensive technology acceptance literature, the results accentuate the necessity for further research to develop a consensus regarding the most critical factors for successful Casemix adoption. The developed instrument is a substantial step toward better understanding the multidimensional challenges of health care system transformations in Malaysia, postulating an underpinning for future fieldwork and broader application across other hospitals.

Development and validation of a questionnaire to evaluate Students Learning Needs using XR Technology

Abstract Background Extended Reality (XR) technology intends to combine or mirror the physical world, including innovative tools that can be applied in education increasing students’ engagement, improving comprehension, and leading to better outcomes. Under the umbrella of the PedXR project about an Extended Reality Learning Framework for Pediatric Nursing students in Higher Education (Erasmus +- 2023-1-EL01-KA220-HED-000161808), a survey was conducted aiming to validate a questionnaire to evaluate Students’ Learning Needs using XR technology (SLN-PedXR). Methods The questionnaire was developed by item generation through a literature review. The SLN-PedXR was validated in terms of content validity through PedXR Consortium (EL, CY, BE, BG) reviews. The psychometric properties of the final instrument were assessed in a sample of 106 nursing students of the Faculty of Nursing, University of Athens, Greece. Results The findings demonstrate high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = .877). Principal component analysis was conducted to reduce dimensions and establish construct validity and internal consistency of the developed questionnaire. Following pilot-testing and consortium review, the final validated questionnaire consists of 45 items divided into 3 subcategories (current learning needs satisfaction, preferable learning modules, XR development). Conclusions The SLN-PedXR is a valid and reliable tool for evaluating students’ learning needs using XR technology. Key messages • In the rapidly evolving landscape of technological advancements, educational institutions must integrate innovative learning tools into their curricula. • The discernment of students’ learning needs and the formulation of tailored modules stand as pivotal determinants to optimize educational outcomes particularly within the domain of nursing education.

Development of a Professional Identity Scale for Information Professionals

Professional identity is generally defined as one’s interpretation of self as a professional in connection with the personal and professional experiences, attitudes, and aspirations. The research used the framework developed by Pierson et al. (2019), value statements from major professional associations, library and information science (LIS) literature to revise a professional identity scale for counseling profession developed by Woo and Henfield (2015). The developed instrument will be reviewed by small number of experts (N≈20) for content validation. The instrument will be sent out to LIS professionals via mailing lists for construct validation. LIS professionals who have just transitioned from school to work (graduated from LIS programs in the last 5 years) will be invited to participate in the study. The final instrument will include demographic questions (e.g., age, gender), highest degree achieved, employment status, and LIS job experience. Exploratory factor analysis will be carried out to identify the factor structure of the scale and relevant tests (e.g., Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin, Bartlett's test of sphericity) will be performed to investigate and assess the professional identity constructs that will emerge from the data. Confirmatory factor analysis will be conducted to obtain additional measures of fit and possibly explore additional changes. As the profession goes through a transformation and recalibrates itself to stay relevant and better address the needs and expectations of users, having a validated and reliable instrument to assess the professional identity of the professionals in the field will help address this gap.

Development of Three-Tier Diagnostic Test to Measure Misconceptions of Grade 5 Students about Fractions

This research developed a measuring instrument in the form of a three-tier diagnostic test to measure students' misconceptions in fraction material in grade V. This research aims to determine (1) the validity, reliability, and item characteristics of the three-tier diagnostic test and (2) the level of misconceptions of grade V elementary school students in Pontianak. This research used quantitative approach and test development model by Mardapi, that has nine steps. The subjects were fifth-grade students in Pontianak City, and the developed test instruments focused on addition-subtraction of fractions, each with two sets of questions A and B. The instrument were analyzed for content and construct validity, reliability, and item characteristics based on IRT using Partial Credit Model (PCM). The results show that the developed test instrument demonstrated strong content and construct validity. Reliability analysis shows high reliability, with Cronbach's Alpha values &amp;gt;0,7. Item fit analysis reveal that 91% and 73% were fit, therefore the unfit items were fixed or eliminated. The analysis of misconceptions shows that 39.52% of students do not understand the concept of fractions’ addition and subtraction, and 29.09% experienced misconceptions. Additionally, 12.61% have false positives, and 8.97% have false negatives. Only 6.30% understood the concept correctly, and 3.52% guessed correctly or understood but had doubts. Generally, the final test instrument demonstrated good validity, reliability and item qualities.

A new measure of professional caregiver coping in long‐term care: The LTC COPE

AbstractINTRODUCTIONThe professional caregiver workforce (nursing assistants and personal care aides) is critical to quality of care and quality of life in nursing home (NH) and assisted living (AL) settings. The work is highly stressful, so improving responses to stress in this workforce could contribute to satisfaction and retention. This research developed a coping measure appropriate for the diverse professional caregiver workforce.METHODSA multistage process identified and refined existing and new items. Ten racially and ethnically diverse professional caregivers advised on item selection and refinement. Subsequently, using an online QR code‐accessed questionnaire, data were collected from 391 professional caregivers from 10 NHs and 3 AL communities in three states, yielding a sample that was 87% female, widely distributed in age and experience, and racially/ethnically diverse (42% Black, non‐Hispanic/Latinx; 25% White, non‐Hispanic/Latinx; 20% Hispanic/Latinx; 7% Asian, non‐Hispanic/Latinx; and 21% born outside the United States). Analyses examined psychometric properties and principal components analysis identified factors within which items and scales aggregated.RESULTSThe final instrument, named the Long‐Term Care Cope (LTC Cope), includes 26 items aggregated into six factors, which explained 60% of the variance: avoidance (five items, loadings 0.58–0.76); adaptive psychological strategies (six items, loadings 0.33–0.89); active engagement (five items, 0.47–0.89); maladaptive psychological strategies (three items, loadings 0.90–0.93); actions to minimize emotional impact (four items, loadings 0.28–0.74); and substance use (three items, loadings 0.61–0.88). Respondents often reported using multiple items within multiple factors when responding to stressful situations at work.DISCUSSIONThe coping strategies of professional caregivers are highly individual, with caregivers tending to utilize multiple strategies. The LTC Cope instrument and its component subscales are promising for future research to improve understanding of stress‐related coping in this diverse workforce and inform and evaluate interventions.Highlights A new measure was developed to help us better understand how professional caregivers (nursing assistants and personal care aides) deal with work‐related stress. Professional caregivers in nursing homes and assisted living tend to use multiple approaches to deal with job stress. Ways professional caregivers cope with stress vary widely—some address problems directly, some try to deal with the emotional toll of the work, and others involve avoiding the problems or their emotional consequences.

Measuring the Performance of Industrialized Building System (IBS) Construction on Projects Towards Achieving IR 4.0 in Malaysia- Contractor’s Perspective

According to prolonged project completion times, excessive costs, and inadequate building products, the majority of construction projects are seen as underperforming. Alternatively, stakeholders are encouraged to move from conventional to Industrialized Building Systems (IBS) in line with today's technology. Previous studies show the performance of IBS practices in the Malaysian construction industry is still at a low level even though the government has diversified promotions and issued instructions for 70% of IBS use in government projects. These selection criteria affect contractors' performance of IBS practices and need to be done in a systematic way, along with current technology trends and sustainability. Content validity in IBS practice performance is an important step in instrument development. Content validity in IBS practice performance is an important step in instrument development. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate the content validity of the performance effectiveness of IBS practices by using the content validity index (CVI) and modified Kappa sensitivity. In an effort to accomplish the objectives of this study, a questionnaire was created using construct items that were taken from earlier research projects by various researcher. A panel of selected experts who are experienced in the field of IBS, such as CIDB, ​​JKR and contractors have reviewed and evaluated pig instruments to ensure the relevance of each item. The final instrument contains 39 items that are valid and considered permanent and all items will be tested again in the next study. The results showed that the S-CVI/AVE for every item met every requirement and received an outstanding rating for every assessment.

The Dietetics Profession Privilege Scale: Development, Psychometric Testing, and Application Among a Diverse Cohort of Dietetics Professionals

BackgroundPrivilege (defined as the unearned advantage or disadvantage experienced by social groups resulting from structural power differences) impacts efforts to create a diverse and inclusive dietetics profession. Yet, no current measures exist to assess and observe privilege, and the relative privilege among dietetics professionals (DPs) is unknown. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to develop and validate a scale to measure DP privilege and to use that scale to assess privilege among a sample of DPs in the United States. DesignThe initial scale was developed by the research team and the psychometrics were assessed using a 3-phase cross-sectional study exploring construct, content and face validity, and test–retest reliability. Participants/settingA survey with content experts (n = 18), cognitive interviewees (n = 12), and a survey of DPs (n = 900) were conducted online and over Zoom during 2021. Statistical analysesExploratory factor analysis, 1-way analysis of variance, Cronbach’s α, and descriptive statistics were used to assess the final instrument and identify correlates of privilege. ResultsFindings indicate that the 29-item Dietetic Profession Privilege Scale has good validity and reliability across 6 domains (ie, treatment in training, identity alignment, resource access, cultural access, financial access, and physical access). The mean (SE) privilege score among the current sample of DPs was 45 (10.2) out of 58 points, with the greatest gaps between racial and ethnic groups, where White DPs (n = 540) had a mean (SE) score of 49.7 (0.33), followed by a mean score of 41.0 among Middle Eastern/North African DPs (n = 9); mean score of 40.0 for the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander–identifying DP; mean (SE) score of 39.8 (0.93) among DPs with 2 or more racial or ethnic identities, including White (n = 68); mean score of 35.7 among DPs with 2 or more marginalized racial or ethnic identities (n = 6); a mean (SE) score of 35.3 (1.07) among Black or African American DPs (n = 51); a mean (SE) score of 34.3 (0.93) among Asian DPs (n = 67); a mean (SE) score of 33.4 (0.91) among Latino, Hispanic, and Chicano DPs (n = 71); and a mean (SE) 29.4 (3.42) among American Indian and Alaskan Native DPs (P < .001 for all racial and ethnic groups in which n > 10; SE not indicated for groups when n < 10). DPs with dominant group identities were found to have statistically higher privilege scores than their peers with marginalized identities in several areas, including race, gender, sexual orientation, income, socioeconomic status, neurodivergence, and ableness, and scored higher on the privilege scale than their peers with marginalized identities. ConclusionsThe Dietetics Profession Privilege Scale is a valid and reliable scale that demonstrates the ability to distinguish differences in privilege between DPs in the interest of reducing bias and achieving inclusion, diversity, equity, and access with the profession.

Development of a signs and symptoms outcome measure for caregivers of patients with methylmalonic acidemia and propionic acidemia (MMAPAQ)

Background and objectiveMethylmalonic acidemia (MMA) and propionic acidemia (PA) are rare inborn errors of metabolism with shared signs and symptoms that are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. No disease-specific clinical outcomes assessment instruments for MMA and/or PA currently exist to capture the patient perspective in clinical trials. Because patients with these conditions are generally young and have cognitive impairments, an observer-reported outcome (ObsRO) instrument is crucial. We report results from qualitative research supporting development of the Methylmalonic Acidemia and Propionic Acidemia Questionnaire (MMAPAQ), a signs and symptoms ObsRO measure for caregivers of patients with MMA and/or PA. MethodsConcept elicitation (CE) interviews were conducted with 35 participants across 2 studies who were aged ≥18 years and caregivers of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of MMA or PA, and an additional 5 patients aged ≥6 years with MMA or PA in Study 1, to identify core signs/symptoms for inclusion in the MMAPAQ. All interviews were conducted in English. Study 2 included cognitive interviews (CI) with caregivers and clinical experts to further assess content validity. CE and a conceptual framework review were also conducted with clinical experts to further support findings. ResultsA consistent set of signs/symptoms of MMA and PA were reported by eligible caregivers interviewed in study 1 (n = 21) and study 2 (n = 14), representing 11 patients with MMA and 20 with PA. Based on concepts reported in study 1, a draft instrument was constructed and compared with the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQL™) and Family Impact module, demonstrating face validity for measuring key signs/symptoms important to patients and caregivers. The PedsQL™ and Family Impact modules were preferred to assess patient and caregiver impacts. Two waves of CE and CIs were conducted in study 2, with wave 1 resulting in removal of 7 items and other revisions to improve clarity, and wave 2 resulting in modification of examples used for 2 items. The final instrument consisted of the following 7 items assessed over the past 7 days using a Likert-type response scale ranging from “never” to “very often”: uncontrollable or involuntary movements, dehydration, rapid breathing at rest, appearing lethargic, appearing disinterested in eating, refusing to eat, and vomiting. ConclusionsThis study establishes the content validity of the MMAPAQ as the first ObsRO questionnaire for measuring core signs and symptoms of MMA and PA in clinical trials and community research. Scoring and psychometric measurement properties of the MMAPAQ will be established in future studies. The PedsQL™ was found to have face validity in measuring concepts that affect the MMA and PA patient populations and should also be considered for use in clinical trials in MMA and PA.

The maternal and newborn health eCohort to track longitudinal care quality: study protocol and survey development.

The MNH eCohort was developed to fill gaps in maternal and newborn health (MNH) care quality measurement. In this paper, we describe the survey development process, recruitment strategy, data collection procedures, survey content and plans for analysis of the data generated by the study. We also compare the survey content to that of existing multi-country tools on MNH care quality. The eCohort is a longitudinal mixed-mode (in-person and phone) survey that will recruit women in health facilities at their first antenatal care (ANC) visit. Women will be followed via phone survey until 10-12 weeks postpartum. User-reported information will be complemented with data from physical health assessments at baseline and endline, extraction from MNH cards, and a brief facility survey. The final MNH eCohort instrument is centered around six key domains of high-quality health systems including competent care (content of ANC, delivery, and postnatal care for the mother and newborn), competent systems (prevention and detection, timely care, continuity, integration), user experience, health outcomes, confidence in the health system, and economic outcomes. The eCohort combines the maternal and newborn experience and, due to its longitudinal nature, will allow for quality assessment according to specific risks that evolve throughout the pregnancy and postpartum period. Detailed information on medical and obstetric history and current health status of respondents and newborns will allow us to determine whether women and newborns at risk are receiving needed care. The MNH eCohort will answer novel questions to guide health system improvements and to fill data gaps in implementing countries.

Development and validation of a patient-centered communication scale for nurses

BackgroundPatient-centered care aims to prevent disease and promote well-being by actively involving patients in treatment and decision-making that is based on respecting the patients and their families. However, no scales have been developed to assess patient-centered care from the nurse’s perspective. This study aimed to develop a scale to measure nurses’ level of patient-centered communication and confirm its validity and reliability.MethodsA methodological cross-sectional study was adopted to develop and validate the Patient-Centered Communication Scale (PCCS). The items were developed through a literature review and online interviews with nurses. Content validity was assessed by experts and the content validity index was calculated. A pretest of the questionnaire was conducted with 10 clinical nurses. To evaluate the factor structure and internal consistency reliability, the PCCS was administered online to 325 nurses in South Korea. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, explanatory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).ResultsThe final instrument consisted of 12 items and three factors: (1) information sharing, (2) patient-as-person, and (3) therapeutic alliance. EFA revealed a distinct three-factor structure, explaining 59.0% of the total variance. CFA confirmed the adequacy of the model fit and validated the inclusion of the final items. The Cronbach’s alpha values ranged from 0.60 to 0.77, indicating acceptable internal consistency. Convergent validity was evidenced by the correlation between the PCCS and a measure of interpersonal communication competence.ConclusionsThe 12-item PCCS showed good reliability, construct validity, and convergent validity. The scale has utility for measuring the level of patient-centered communication skills in nurses.

Validation of the Online Test Anxiety Inventory (ON‐TAI) for adult students. The Rasch measurement approach

AbstractThis study is an investigation of the validity of the Online Test Anxiety Inventory (OΝ‐TAI) for adult students. The scale contained the 20 items of the Test Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, 1980), together with five computer anxiety items, all rephrased so as to pertain to online test anxiety. The scale was administered to a large sample of Greek and Cypriot postgraduate students and Rasch measurement was used for the investigation of its psychometric properties. After original analyses, one of the computer anxiety items was removed, leaving the final instrument with a total of 24 items. Results showed that the scale is unidimensional thus supporting that computer anxiety can indeed be considered a component of online test anxiety. All evidence collected supports the high degree of construct validity of the scale. Furthermore, results verify that the 4‐point scale used is optimal. Additional research, with adult student populations from other countries, with the use of the OΝ‐TAI is suggested for the purpose of broader use.

Academic Skills Used by College Students Without Brain Injury: A Validation Study

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a brief, ecologically valid measure of academic-related skills used by students in both in-person and online higher education. Method: Twelve undergraduate ( n = 7) and graduate ( n = 5) college students without brain injury participated in a pilot study followed by focus group semistructured interviews. Next, preliminary normative data were collected from a larger sample of undergraduate ( n = 152) and graduate ( n = 73) students without brain injury, ages 18–35 years. Participants were asked to rate the cognitive, communicative, and academic skills they used for in-person and online instruction. The students completed a 27-item scale (Likert, 1 = strongly disagree to 6 = strongly agree ). Results: Following an exploratory factor analysis, seven distinct factors were retained creating the final instrument in the population without brain injury. These included sustained attention, metacognition, working memory, problem solving, reading comprehension, selective attention, and processing speed. Conclusions: Responses from college students without brain injury helped to validate items on the College Readiness After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury scale. Undergraduate and graduate students identified the skills they used in both online and in-person academic learning environments. Future plans include the recruitment of students with mild traumatic brain injury returning to higher education to investigate the sensitivity of the scale.