ABSTRACT

Background

Communication partner training (CPT) of health professionals (HP) is recommended in several international guidelines for stroke and aphasia. The effectiveness of CPT is well established, but research and evaluation is needed for implementation of CPT in different healthcare settings. The Health Professionals and Aphasia Questionnaire (HPAQ) was developed to make available a valid and reliable outcome measure, which is feasible for use with HP working in practice settings with people with aphasia as well as in research.

Aims

The aim was to investigate the test–retest reliability and underlying psychometric properties of the HPAQ when administered four weeks apart to HP in neurorehabilitation.

Methods and Procedures

Participants were recruited from a CPT implementation study in Denmark. Health professionals with contact with patients with aphasia were assigned to CPT courses and asked to fill the questionnaire four weeks before and on the day of their scheduled course. In all, 270 HP responded to the HPAQ. The internal consistency, test–retest reliability, structural validity, and floor and ceiling effects of the HPAQ questions were investigated using descriptive statistics, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Cronbach’s alpha, and factor analysis.

Outcomes and Results

The overall test–retest reliability of HPAQ was excellent (ICC = 0.86); and ICC of the individual questions ranged between 0.80 and 0.48. Minor ceiling or flooring effects in answering questions were present. The factor analysis revealed three underlying factors. The first and strongest was a CPT-related knowledge and skill factor represented in all questions except for question 10. The second component was associated with questions probing environmental factors. Test–retest reliability was excellent for the score developed with variables used in these factors. A third factor was associated with expecting or being prepared for making an extra effort when communicating with patients with aphasia. Test–retest reliability for the variables explaining this factor was good. Regarding professions, nurses have the highest ICC on the overall HPAQ, whereas physio and occupational therapists have the lowest. The overall HPAQ showed excellent or good reliability for all healthcare professionals with six or more years of experience, and fair reliability for respondents with fewer years of experience.

Conclusions

The HPAQ has good reliability and is suitable as an outcome measure in CPT studies aimed at different health professionals working in practice settings with people with aphasia.

中文翻译：

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卫生专业人员和失语症问卷 (HPAQ) 的心理测量特性：一种新的自我评估工具，用于评估与失语症患者的健康沟通

摘要

背景

一些国际中风和失语症指南建议对卫生专业人员 (HP) 进行沟通伙伴培训 (CPT)。CPT 的有效性已经确立，但需要研究和评估以在不同的医疗保健环境中实施 CPT。卫生专业人员和失语症问卷 (HPAQ) 旨在提供有效和可靠的结果测量，这对于 HP 在与失语症患者的实践环境以及研究中工作是可行的。

目标

目的是研究在神经康复中每隔 4 周对 HP 进行 HPAQ 的重测信度和潜在的心理测量学特性。

方法和程序

参与者是从丹麦的 CPT 实施研究中招募的。与失语症患者接触的卫生专业人员被分配到 CPT 课程，并被要求在预定课程的前 4 周和当天填写问卷。总共有 270 个 HP 响应了 HPAQ。使用描述性统计、组内相关系数 (ICC)、Cronbach's α 和因子分析来研究 HPAQ 问题的内部一致性、重测信度、结构效度以及地板和天花板效应。

结果和结果

HPAQ 的整体重测信度非常好（ICC = 0.86）；个别问题的 ICC 介于 0.80 和 0.48 之间。回答问题时存在轻微的天花板或地板效应。因素分析揭示了三个潜在因素。第一个也是最强的是与 CPT 相关的知识和技能因素，在除问题 10 之外的所有问题中都有体现。第二个组成部分与探究环境因素的问题相关。重测信度对于这些因素中使用的变量得出的分数非常好。第三个因素与在与失语症患者交流时期望或准备付出额外努力有关。解释这个因素的变量的重测信度很好。关于职业，护士在整体 HPAQ 上的 ICC 最高，而物理和职业治疗师的比例最低。总体 HPAQ 对所有具有六年或以上经验的医疗保健专业人员显示出出色或良好的可靠性，而对于经验年限较少的受访者而言，可靠性相当。

结论

HPAQ 具有良好的可靠性，适合作为 CPT 研究的结果测量，针对在实践环境中与失语症患者一起工作的不同卫生专业人员。