The Curriculum Blueprint: An Application to Nurse Practitioner Education

A psychometric model for the construction of examinations (the test construction process) is adapted as a conceptual framework for curriculum design. The outcome of the process, the curriculum blueprint, is proposed as particularly advantageous for nurse practitioner education, which is somewhat unique among nursing specialties in its need to accommodate the competing demands of several regulatory or educational approval bodies that influence the content of its curriculum. The curriculum blueprint provides a visual dimension and therefore is useful as a communication tool. An excerpted example of a curriculum blueprint is offered.     

Music therapy career aptitude test

The purpose of the Music Therapy Career Aptitude Test (MTCAT) was to measure the affective domain of music therapy students including their self-awareness as it relates to the music therapy career, value in human development, interest in general therapy, and aptitude for being a professional music therapist. The MTCAT was administered to 113 music therapy students who are currently freshman or sophomores in an undergraduate music therapy program or in the first year of a music therapy master's equivalency program. The results of analysis indicated that the MTCAT is normally distributed and that all 20 questions are significantly correlated with the total test score of the MTCAT. The reliability of the MTCAT was considerably high (Cronbach's Coefficient Alpha=0.8). The criterion-related validity was examined by comparing the MTCAT scores of music therapy students with the scores of 43 professional music therapists. The correlation between the scores of students and professionals was found to be statistically significant. The results suggests that normal distribution, internal consistency, homogeneity of construct, item discrimination, correlation analysis, content validity, and criterion-related validity in the MTCAT may be helpful in predicting music therapy career aptitude and may aid in the career decision making process of college music therapy students.     

Appropriately timed interventions with the family and the adolescent: the role of the therapist

Family therapy conducted with a troubled adolescent is a difficult process. In this article the case scenario of a troubled teenager is presented. The adolescent's behavior is scrutinized through an examination of her growth, dynamics, family/parent interactions, and social support. Therapeutic and timely interventions--a blueprint for family therapy integrating psychoanalytic, Bowen, Milan, and behavioral approaches--are explained. The blueprint can be used to assess and assist in the change process of the adolescent. It is extremely important that new therapists realize when they are getting drawn into the content without appreciating the process of therapy. This realization will foster second-order change in the growth of a family therapist.     

APPROPRIATELY TIMED INTERVENTIONS WITH THE FAMILY AND THE ADOLESCENT: THE ROLE OF THE THERAPIST

Family therapy conducted with a troubled adolescent is a difficult process. In this article the case scenario of a troubled teenager is presented. The adolescent's behavior is scrutinized through an examination of her growth, dynamics, family/parent interactions, and social support. Therapeutic and timely interventions-a blueprint for family therapy integrating psychoanalytic, Bowen, Milan, and behavioral approaches-are explained. The blueprint can be used to assess and assist in the change process of the adolescent. It is extremely important that new therapists realize when they are getting drawn into the content without appreciating the process of therapy. This realization will foster second-order change in the growth of a family therapist.     

Provoking a Conversation Around Students’ and Supervisors’ Expectations Regarding Workplace Learning

Abstract

Construct: This study presents a tool that can facilitate a conversation about students’ and supervisors’ expectations concerning responsibilities during workplace learning. Background: It is often unclear who is responsible for facilitating learning opportunities in the workplace. In order to increase learning opportunities, it is important that expectations are discussed and alignment is reached between the student’s and supervisor’s expectations. This study collected and interpreted validity evidence for a tool that aims to provoke such a conversation. Approach: Three types of validity evidence were collected: response process, content, and consequences evidence. Educational leaders, medical teachers, and students of four medical schools were involved. The data collection consisted of cognitive interviews, a modified Delphi approach (with three rounds of inquiry), completed tools, and narrative comments. Findings: This study showed that the expectations of most students and supervisors were not initially aligned. The conversation, for which the tool aims to be a catalyst, facilitated better alignment of expectations about responsibilities during workplace learning. Moreover, the students’ perceived degree of consensus and satisfaction after the conversation were very high. Conclusions: This study underlined the relevance and usefulness of a tool that facilitates conversation about expectations regarding responsibilities, potentially enhancing learning opportunities at the workplace.     

慢性阻塞性肺疾病患者自我护理量表的构建及信效度检验

目的编制COPD患者自我护理量表并检验其信效度。方法在慢性病自我护理中域理论框架下,通过文献回顾、头脑风暴,并参考既往量表,初步构建量表理论维度和条目池。通过德尔菲法、项目分析法、探索性因子分析法筛选条目、确定量表维度,形成正式量表。2020年1月—6月,采用便利抽样法,选取202例COPD患者进行调查,检验量表的信效度。结果 COPD患者自我护理量表包含3个维度、29个条目,累计方差贡献率为60.33%。总量表的Cronbach’sα系数为0.899,折半信度为0.928,内容效度为0.940,COPD患者自我护理量表总得分及各维度得分与COPD患者自我管理量表总得分均呈正相关(r为0.297～0.729,P<0.01),验证性因子分析显示该量表具有较好的结构效度。结论该研究所编制的COPD患者自我护理量表具有较好的信效度,可用于测量COPD患者自我护理水平。     

Field testing, refinement, and psychometric evaluation of a new measure of quality of care for assisted living

Field test results are reported for the Observable Indicators of Nursing Home Care Quality Instrument-Assisted Living Version, an instrument designed to measure the quality of care in assisted living facilities after a brief 30-minute walk-through. The OIQ-AL was tested in 207 assisted-living facilities in two states using classical test theory, generalizability theory, and exploratory factor analysis. The 34-item scale has a coherent six-factor structure that conceptually describes the multidimensional concept of care quality in assisted living. The six factors can be logically clustered into process (Homelike and Caring, 21 items) and structure (Access and Choice; Lighting; Plants and Pets; Outdoor Spaces) subscales and for a total quality score. Classical test theory results indicate most subscales and the total quality score from the OIQ-AL have acceptable interrater, test-retest, and strong internal consistency reliabilities. Generalizability theory analyses reveal that dependability of scores from the instrument are strong, particularly by including a second observer who conducts a site visit and independently completes an instrument, or by a single observer conducting two site visits and completing instruments during each visit. Scoring guidelines based on the total sample of observations (N = 358) help guide those who want to use the measure to interpret both subscale and total scores. Content validity was supported by two expert panels of people experienced in the assisted-living field, and a content validity index calculated for the first version of the scale is high (3.43 on a four-point scale). The OIQ-AL gives reliable and valid scores for researchers, and may be useful for consumers, providers, and others interested in measuring quality of care in assisted-living facilities.     

Lost in translation? Issues of content validity in interpreter-mediated aphasia assessments

In many parts of the world, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are frequently called upon to assess aphasia in bilingual speakers, or in speakers of languages of which they have little or no knowledge. One of the strategies that SLPs employ in these situations is to involve an interpreter in the assessment process. Three authentic interpreter-mediated aphasia assessments were analysed for the present study, which aimed to determine the degree to which the content validity of the individual tests was compromised in the process of their administration through an interpreter. Findings reveal that content validity was frequently weakened either at the point of administration of the test or at the point at which responses were reported back by the interpreter to the SLP. Based on these findings, it is argued that the conduct of interpreter-mediated aphasia assessments needs to be fundamentally re-thought to take account of the limitations inherent in the interpreting process. To this end, this study presents a number of practical recommendations for the involvement of interpreters in aphasia assessments, with a view to making optimal use of existing assessment materials and enhancing the quality of diagnostic information to emerge from such clinical sessions.     

The cross-cultural adaptation of the Work Role Functioning Questionnaire in Canadian French

The Work Role Functioning Questionnaire (WRFQ) is a new work disability measurement tool assessing the perceived impact of a health problem on the worker's ability to perform his job. The objective of this study was to make the cross-cultural adaptation of the WRFQ for the French Canadian population. The methodology was composed of five steps: forward translation, synthesis of the translations, back translation, revision by an expert committee and test of the pre-final version. The psychometric properties of the translated version were evaluated by administering the questionnaire to forty workers with a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD). Results indicated good content validity and internal consistency (Cronbach alpha > 0.80 for each scale). Construct validity was tested and confirmed through three hypotheses: (1) subjects with MSD scored higher for the Physical, Work Scheduling and Output demands scales than for the Mental and Social demands scales, (2) subjects having back pain had lower scores than subjects having pain at other body sites and (3) subjects with an MSD had lower scores than healthy workers working full time. This study confirmed that the process used for the adaptation of the Canadian French version of the WRFQ was successful and that this version had good psychometric properties.     

Development of a questionnaire to evaluate patient satisfaction with medical encounters

Given that a medical practice exists for patients, it is worth determining the degree of patient satisfaction with regard to the medical practice's quality of care. Considering the importance of noticing patient satisfaction and its influence on clinical care, intense evaluation of a questionnaire's validity and reliability is essential. The purpose of this study was to establish a valid and reliable self-administered scale to measure patient satisfaction with fewer questions than previous scales applicable in medical settings in Japan. A qualitative method was used to develop and revise content-valid question items of the questionnaire. Factor analysis revealed five subscales among 12 items: "overall satisfaction", "complete examination", "patient centeredness", "examination time", and "whole person care". A test of internal consistency was also assessed. The concurrent validity was assessed to evaluate the association between the score of the current questionnaire and that of the visual analogue scale or other questionnaire. Agreement between two sets of score, scores just after consultation and 30-50 min after that, was assessed to evaluate the test-retest reliability of each question item. The results revealed satisfactory validity, including the content and concurrent validity, internal consistency (Cronback alpha = 0.77-0.85), and the test-retest reliability of our questionnaire (Kappa score = 0.61-0.71). In conclusion, we have developed a short-form self-administered patient satisfaction questionnaire applicable in Japan, with acceptable validity and reliability. This questionnaire may contribute to conducting further studies related to patient subjective responses to encounters in Japanese medical settings, and evaluating and improving the clinical interview skills of medical students or trainees in medical education.     

Validation of the Narrowing Beam Walking Test in Lower Limb Prosthesis Users

Objective

To evaluate the content, construct, and discriminant validity of the Narrowing Beam Walking Test (NBWT), a performance-based balance test for lower limb prosthesis users.

缺血性脑卒中患者复发风险感知量表的编制及信效度检验

目的 编制缺血性脑卒中患者复发风险感知量表并检验其信效度。方法 以风险感知理论和健康信念模式为理论框架,通过文献分析、质性访谈、专家函询法编制量表初稿,便利选取2020年6月—2021年10月在西安市某三级甲等综合医院治疗和复查的430例缺血性脑卒中患者进行问卷调查,检验量表信效度。结果 形成的缺血性脑卒中患者复发风险感知量表包括4个维度、25个条目。临界比值法分析中,高、低分组评分差异均具有统计学意义（P<0.05）。探索性因子分析提取4个公因子,累计方差贡献率为70.164%。验证性因子分析显示,各主要评价指标均在判断标准可接受范围。条目水平的内容效度指数为0.867~1.000,全体一致量表水平的内容效度指数为0.821,平均量表水平的内容效度指数为0.979。效标关联效度分析中,量表总评分与校标量表呈正相关（r=0.522,P<0.01）。量表总的Cronbach’s α系数、分半信度、重测信度分别为0.905、0.763、0.897。 结论 缺血性脑卒中患者复发风险感知量表具有良好的信效度,适用于相关人群复发风险感知的评估。     

Modified essay question

This article examines the reliability and validity of the modified essay question. An 18-item modified essay question was developed and pretested on a group of clinical experts. After the pretest, the modified essay question was administered to a group of 25 physical therapy students immediately before their second level orthopedic placement. A reliability index of .39 (coefficient alpha) was calculated for the test. In addition, measures of validity were obtained by correlating the modified essay question scores with multiple-choice question scores and the students' in-clinic reasoning scores. The results suggest that the reliability coefficient found in this study is comparable to the medical literature. Also, the results showed that the modified essay question demonstrated a greater correlation with the in-clinic clinical reasoning score compared with the parallel content multiple-choice examination. Furthermore, preliminary evidence suggests that the modified essay question may be a useful paper and pencil tool in evaluating clinical reasoning. Finally, several shortcomings of this study are discussed in conjunction with a direction for further study.     

Development and validation of the Chinese version of the Diabetes Management Self-efficacy Scale

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to translate the Diabetes Management Self-Efficacy Scale (DMSES) into Chinese and test the validity and reliability of the instrument within a Taiwanese population. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A two-stage design was used for this study. Stage I consisted of a multi-stepped process of forward and backward translation, using focus groups and consensus meetings to translate the 20-item Australia/English version DMSES to Chinese and test content validity. Stage II established the psychometric properties of the Chinese version DMSES (C-DMSES) by examining the criterion, convergent and construct validity, internal consistency and stability testing. The sample for Stage II comprised 230 patients with type 2 diabetes aged 30 years or more from a diabetes outpatient clinic in Taiwan. RESULTS: Three items were modified to better reflect Chinese practice. The C-DMSES obtained a total average CVI score of .86.The convergent validity of the C-DMSES correlated well with the validated measure of the General Self-Efficacy Scale in measuring self-efficacy (r=.55; p<.01). Criterion-related validity showed that the C-DMSES was a significant predictor of the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities scores (Beta=.58; t=10.75, p<.01). Factor analysis supported the C-DMSES being composed of four subscales. Good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=.77 to .93) and test-retest reliability (Pearson correlation coefficient r=.86, p<.01) were found. CONCLUSIONS: The C-DMSES is a brief and psychometrically sound measure for evaluation of self-efficacy towards management of diabetes by persons with type 2 diabetes in Chinese populations.     

Validation of a symptom measure suitable for use among palliative care patients in the community: CAMPAS-R

The purpose of the study was to investigate psychometric properties of CAMPAS-R, an instrument for prospectively monitoring patients' symptoms and needs during palliative care at home. CAMPAS-R was piloted for face and content validity and then administered alongside criterion measures to a home care sample. Cronbach's alpha was used to test internal consistency and criterion-related validity was tested by non-parametric correlation with Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and EORTC QLQ-C30. Predictive validity was assessed by relating CAMPAS-R scores to survival. One hundred and nine patients were recruited to the study. Good reliability and high correlations between CAMPAS-R and criterion measures were found. Predictive validity was demonstrated by significant differences in symptom scores between groups differing in length of survival. CAMPAS-R is acceptable to patients, families and primary care professionals and is a valid, reliable instrument, which has the benefit of being easy to score.     

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Injury-Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport scale to Persian language

The aim of the present study was to develop and provide validation statistics for the Persian Injury-Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport scale (I-PRRS) following a cross-sectional and prospective cohort study design. The I-PRRS was forward/back-translated and culturally adapted into Persian language. The Persian I-PRRS was administered to 100 injured athletes (93 male; age 26.0 ± 5.6 years; time since injury 4.84 ± 6.4 months) and 50 healthy athletes (36 male; mean age 25.7 ± 6.0 years). The Persian I-PRRS was re-administered to 50 injured athletes at 1 week to examine test–retest reliability. There were no floor or ceiling effects confirming the content validity of Persian I-PRRS. The internal consistency reliability was good. Excellent test–retest reliability and agreement were demonstrated. The statistically significant difference in Persian I-PRRS total scores between the injured athletes and healthy athletes provides an evidence of discriminative validity. The Persian I-PRRS total scores were positively correlated with the Farsi Mood Scale (FARMS) total scores, showing construct validity. The principal component analysis indicated a two-factor solution consisting of “Confidence to play” and “Confidence in the injured body part and skill level”. The Persian I-PRRS showed excellent reliability and validity and can be used to assess injured athletes’ psychological readiness to return to sport among Persian-speaking populations.     

Development and psychometric testing of the rural pregnancy experience scale (RPES)

Rural pregnant woman who lack local access to maternity care due to their remote living circumstances may experience stress and anxiety related to pregnancy and parturition. The Rural Pregnancy Experience Scale (RPES) was designed to assess the unique worry and concerns reflective of the stress and anxiety of rural pregnant women related to pregnancy and parturition. The items of the scale were designed based on the results of a qualitative study of the experiences of pregnant rural women, thereby building a priori content validity into the measure. The relevancy content validity index (CVI) for this instrument was 1.0 and the clarity CVI was .91, as rated by maternity care specialists. A field test of the RPES with 187 pregnant rural women from British Columbia indicated that it had two factors: financial worries and worries/concerns about maternity care services, which were consistent with the conceptual base of the tool. Cronbach's alpha for the total RPES was .91; for the financial worries subscale and the worries/concerns about maternity care services subscale, alpha were .89 and .88, respectively. Construct validity was supported by significant correlations between the total scores of the RPES and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS [r =.39, p < .01]), and subscale scores on the RPES were significantly correlated and converged with the depression, anxiety, and stress subscales of the DASS supporting convergent validity (correlations ranged between .20; p < .05 and .43; p < .01). Construct validity was also supported by findings that the level of access and availability of maternity care services were significantly associated with RPES scores. It was concluded that the RPES is a reliable and valid measure of worries and concerns reflective of rural pregnant women's stress and anxiety related to pregnancy and parturition.     

A Methodological Approach to Enhance External Validity in Simulation Based Research

Simulation methodology, as exemplified by use of vignettes, has many advantages, such as standardization of data collection procedure, control of extraneous variables, and manipulation of variables of interest. The main shortcoming is its artificiality and therefore its limited external validity.

To determine the degree to which findings from simulation research are transferable to the real world, a comparison can be made using the same measure on artificial and real situations, or the researcher can determine the degree to which a score on the simulation compares with a score in the field. The predictive validity approach was used in a study that used an artificial method to study patient assault. In this study, the intent was to determine the degree of accuracy that the subjects' causal attribution scores on an assault vignette were predictive of causal attribution scores in the actual assault situation.     

A methodological approach to enhance external validity in simulation based research

Simulation methodology, as exemplified by use of vignettes, has many advantages, such as standardization of data collection procedure, control of extraneous variables, and manipulation of variables of interest. The main shortcoming is its artificiality and therefore its limited external validity. To determine the degree to which findings from simulation research are transferable to the real world, a comparison can be made using the same measure on artificial and real situations, or the researcher can determine the degree to which a score on the simulation compares with a score in the field. The predictive validity approach was used in a study that used an artificial method to study patient assault. In this study, the intent was to determine the degree of accuracy that the subjects' causal attribution scores on an assault vignette were predictive of causal attribution scores in the actual assault situation.