Psychometric Analysis of a Scale Used to Measure Patient Perceptions of Cultural Comptency

Victoria Sattler

As the United States population becomes more culturally diverse, there is an increasing need for healthcare providers to be culturally competent. Developing effective cultural competence curriculum for health profession students is necessary but determining what standards should be used to measure development of cultural competency in individuals can be challenging. While there are many scales available to assess cultural competency, few consider the patient’s perspective. The purpose of this study was to develop and determine the psychometric properties of a scale used to measure the importance of various components of cultural competency as perceived by Peruvian patients receiving care from health professions students participating in an international cultural immersion experience. The Patient Perspective Cultural Competency in Healthcare Scale (PP-CCHS) was based on the Caffrey Cultural Competency in Healthcare Scale, resulting in a 17-item scale that identifies the components of cultural competence that Peruvian patients perceive as important in the American providers they receive care from. After initial review by subject matter experts, the scale was forward translated into Spanish and back-translated into English to verify accuracy. The PP-CCHS was administered to a convenience sample of 190 Peruvian patients receiving care from health professions students participating in an international immersion course in Iquitos, Peru. The majority of patients were female (n=145) and almost half (n=79) had not previously attended a clinic provided by health professionals from another country. Item means ranged from 2.18 (SD=1.18) to 3.50 (SD=.58). All statistically significant inter-item correlations were positive and ranged from .30 to .52. The scale was internally consistent (α = .81). The PP-CCHS was a 1-factor model in which the eigenvalue accounted for 27.34% of the variance (eigenvalue = 4.65), chi-square = 246.13 (df=119, p<.000). The only item with a factor loading less than the a priori criteria of .30 dealt with the use of herbal/traditional treatments. In conclusion, the newly developed PP-CCHS is a valid and reliable 1-factor scale that assesses the components of cultural competency that patients identify as important in the American healthcare providers providing care to patients in Peru.

Psychometric Analysis of a Scale Used to Measure Patient Perceptions of Cultural Comptency

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