ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to translate the U-CEP scale into Chinese, and evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the U-CEP, in order to provide a measurement and evaluation tool for clinical epidemiology education and research. MethodsThe U-CEP scale was translated and adapted using the Brislin translation model. A nationwide survey of clinicians was conducted using the Chinese version of the U-CEP. Item analysis, reliability analysis, and validity analysis were performed using SPSS 26.0 software. ResultsThe discriminant validity analysis showed that except for item 4, the critical value (CR) of the other twenty-four items differed significantly between high and low groups (P<0.01), with CR values ranging from 2.902 to 14.609. The ITCs of the 25 items were all positive, with 5 items having an ITC<0.15(20%), 2 items having ITC≥0.15~0.20 (8%), 6 items having ITC≥0.20~0.40 (24%) and 12 items having ITC≥0.40 (48%). In terms of reliability, the overall Cronbach’s α coefficient of the Chinese version of the U-CEP was 0.80, with Cronbach’s α coefficient ranging from 0.752 to 0.805 when deleting each item one by one. The test-retest reliability was 0.848 (P<0.001). The alternative-form reliability was 0.838 (P<0.001). In terms of validity, expert analysis showed that the content validity of the Chinese version of the U-CEP was good. The construct validity analysis showed that the cumulative contribution rate of the 25 items was 57.50%. No respondent scored full marks or zero marks, indicating that no ceiling or floor effects were found. There were statistically significant differences in the total scores among clinicians with different educational backgrounds or with or without systematic learning of relevant knowledge (P<0.05). ConclusionThe Chinese version of the U-CEP has good reliability and validity, as well as good cultural adaptability. It can effectively assess a physician's knowledge of clinical epidemiology.
Objective To develop a behavioral assessment scale for medication management plans in women of childbearing age with epilepsy and to test its reliability and validity. Methods Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, a pool of questionnaire items was initially drafted through literature review and focus group discussions. A two-round Delphi expert consultation was conducted with 15 experts to form a test version of the behavioral assessment scale for medication management plans in women of childbearing age with epilepsy (including 27 items and 5 dimensions). Convenience sampling was used to conduct surveys among women of childbearing age with epilepsy in some tertiary hospitals in Chuxiong, Shenzhen and Wuhan from February to May 2024 (the first time) and from June to October 2024 (the second time). ResultsThe effective recovery rates of the two rounds of questionnaires were 95.5% and 94.6%, respectively. The final scale included 24 items and 5 dimensions, with good reliability and validity: the content validity index (S-CVI) was 0.934, Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.876, split-half reliability was 0.819, and test-retest reliability was 0.901; exploratory factor analysis extracted 5 factors (cumulative variance explained rate 73.97%, item load 0.42~0.85), and confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model had good fit (χ2/df=1.849, RMSEA=0.075, CFI, GFI, AGFI, IFI, TLI all>0.85). Conclusion The scale meets the reliability and validity standards and can be used to assess the medication management plans and behaviors of women of childbearing age with epilepsy.
Objective Using the evidence-based management to manage the flexible endoscope based on the data collected by information means, to reduce the rate of serious faults and control maintenance costs. Methods From January 2017 to December 2018, we collected and analyzed the flexible endoscope data of the use, leak detection, washing and disinfection, and maintenance between 2015 and 2018 from the Gastroenterology Department of our hospital. Three main causes of flexible endoscope faults were found: delayed leak detection, irregular operation, and physical/chemical wastage. Management schemes (i.e., leak detection supervision, fault tracing, and reliability maintenance) were enacted according to these reasons. These schemes were improved continuously in the implementation. Finally, we calculated the changes of the fault rate of each grade and the maintenance cost. Results By two years management practice, compared with those from 2015 to 2016, the annual rates of grade A and grade C faults of flexible endoscope from 2017 to 2018 decreased by 10.3% and 16.7% respectively, and the annual average maintenance cost fell by 53.2%. Conclusions The maintenance costs of flexible endoscope could be effectively controlled by enacting and implementing a series of targeted management schemes based on the data from the root causes of faults applying the evidence-based management. Evidence-based management based on data has a broad application prospect in the management of medical equipment faults.
ObjectivesTo compare and analyze existing pharmaceutical economic evaluations quality assessment instruments, and to provide suggestions on how to choose the most appropriate instrument.MethodsPubMed, EMbase, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, CNKI, WanFang Data and VIP databases were electronically searched to collect studies on existing pharmaceutical economic evaluations quality assessment instruments from inception to December, 2017. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and analyzed studies in terms of items, design methods, scopes and characteristics.ResultsTwelve original checklists with good reliability and validity were found. The first quality assessment method was designed in 1987 and the latest one was published in 2013. The number of checklist items ranged from 11 to 61.ConclusionThere is no consolidated method for assessing the quality of pharmaceutical economics evaluations. Evaluators can choose appropriate evaluation tools according to the purpose, type and operability of evaluation.
ObjectiveTo develop a survey questionnaire on preferences and values regarding perineal injury prevention measures during pregnancy and conduct reliability and validity tests. MethodsCombining literature reviews, qualitative interviews, and expert consultations, we summarized key elements of perineal injury prevention during pregnancy and synthesized the best evidence. Through multiple discussions within the core working group, a survey questionnaire on preferences and values regarding perineal injury prevention measures during pregnancy was formulated. Using convenience sampling, pregnant women were recruited, and a pre-survey was conducted using the questionnaire. Pre-survey results were analyzed using item analysis and reliability and validity testing methods to validate and refine the questionnaire. ResultsThe questionnaire was compiled based on the theory of evidence-based decision-making. The initial version of the questionnaire was developed by combining systematic evaluation, network meta-analysis, and semi-structured interviews. The questionnaire was modified and improved through expert consultation, group discussion, and pre-investigation, which ensured that the questionnaire had good reliability, validity, and practicability. The Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.87, the split-half reliability was 0.71, and the content validity index was 0.97 of the survey questionnaire. ConclusionThe present version of the perineal injury preventive measures preference and values questionnaire has good reliability, validity, and practicability. It can serve as a valuable tool for investigating preferences and values related to perineal injury prevention during pregnancy.
ObjectiveTo develop a patient satisfaction evaluation scale for day surgery and test its reliability and validity, so as to provide a scientific and effective tool for day surgery patient satisfaction assessment.MethodsThe literature review method was used to form an entry pool, and the initial version of the scale was formed in conjunction with the expert review method. And then a preliminary survey was conducted to obtain the tentative version of the scale. Finally, 290 day surgery patients discharged between June 15th and July 15th, 2019 were selected to accomplish a survey to check the reliability and validity of the scale.ResultsFinally, a day surgery patient satisfaction evaluation scale was formed, containing 3 stages (pre-hospital, hospitalization, and postdischarge follow-up), 3 dimensions (medical staff evaluation, medical service evaluation, and environment and process evaluation), and 40 items. After the formal survey, the overall Cronbach’s α coefficient of the scale was 0.980, the Spearman-Brown coefficient was 0.933, the Guttman’s half-coefficient was 0.932, and the content validity was 0.87-1.00.ConclusionThe day surgery patient satisfaction evaluation scale was proven good reliability and validity, which can be used as a measurement tool for day surgery patients and applied to clinical practice.
ObjectiveTo compare the performance of 36-item short form health survey (SF-36) and World Health Organization quality of life-bref (WHOQOL-Bref) in assessing quality of life (QOL) in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).
MethodsThe WHOQOL-Bref questionnaire and the SF-36 questionnaire were administered to patients with tuberculosis undergoing treatment from July to September 2013. The statistical methods of reliability analysis, factor analysis and the Pearson correlation coefficient analysis were used.
ResultsIt showed that the WHOQOL-Bref and the SF-36 both had good reliability (Cronbach α=0.863 and 0.920, respectively). Constructive validity of the two instruments were checked by factor analysis and the Pearson correlation coefficient analysis, which indicated that both the two instruments had good validity. Among scales measuring similar concepts, many subscales of the SF-36 and the four domains of the WHOQOL-Bref unexpectedly had a fair correlation with one another. For example, the physical QOL, psychological QOL, and social relation QOL domains of the WHOQOL-Bref and physical functioning, mental health, and social functioning of the SF-36 were 0.482, 0.745, and 0.572, respectively.
ConclusionThe WHOQOL-Bref and the SF-36 have an approximately equivalent practicability in assessing the quality of life in patients with TB.
Objective To primarily test the reliability and validity of the Kashin-Beck Disease (KBD) affected big joints function assessing system for adult Tibetans in Rangtang County. Method From June to July 2009, 142 KBD patients were investigated with the function assessing system in Rangtang County of Ngawa. Cronbach’s α coefficient was calculated to estimate internal consistency reliability. Pearson’s r for the correlation of the items with the total score of the scale was computed to test the internal validity. Principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation analysis was conducted to explore construct validity. Result Both the response and complete rates of the scale were 100%. The time for completing the scale was 7.8±3.4 minutes. Cronbach’s α was 0.857, which revealed satisfactory internal consistency reliability. Pearson correlation analysis revealed significant correlation between the scores of each item and the total score of the scale (Plt;0.05). Pearson’s r value of each item was more than 0.4, only except the items of “sitting with legs crossed” and “standing at attention”. The principal factor analysis extracted three latent factors explaining 68.1% of the variation together. The latent factors weights of the items were over 0.4 except the items of “standing at attention”, "taking food” and “wiping after defecation”. Conclusion The reliability and validity of KBD affected big joints function assessing system for adult Tibetans in Rangtang County was good in this primary test, the function assessing system has to be widely applied and further assessed among Tibetans suffered with KBD, in order to provide a standard evaluation criterion in KBD integrate control.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the reliability and validity of the Quality of Working Life Scale (QWL7-32).
MethodsThe QWL7-32 scale was used to survey 487 drilling workers. The presence of chronic diseases was regarded as an effector for evaluating physical health, and the result of SCL-90 measurement was regarded as an effector for evaluating psychological health. The reliability and validity of the scale were statistically analyzed.
ResultsThe results of the Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.713, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.920, and the Splithalf reliability coefficient was 0.942. The result of confirmatory factor analysis showed that the construct validity of scale was good, and the accumulative rate of 7 variances was 62.59%. The results of correlation analysis and t test showed that the validity of scale criterion was also good. In QWL7-32 scale, each dimension showed a good correlation with its relevant item but poor correlation with any other items.
ConclusionThe QWL7-32 has a good reliability and validity.
ObjectiveTo conduct meta-analysis with the reliability of objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), so as to the reliability of OSCE used in the tests for evaluating clinical capacities of medical students.
MethodsArticles about evaluating clinical capacities of medical students using OSCE and using comprehensive coefficient of Cronbach's α to measure the reliability of OSCE were electronically searched in PubMed, ScienceDirect, CNKI, WanFang data and VIP from Jan. 1998 to May. 2013. Two reviewers screened literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracted data, and assessed the methodological quality of the included studies. Then meta-analysis was performed using SSPS 17.0 software.
ResultsThirty-four studies involving 53 coefficients of Cronbach's α were included, of which, there were 18 articles written in English involving 28 coefficients of Cronbach's α and 16 articles written in Chinese involving 25 coefficients of Cronbach's α. The results of meta-analysis showed that:the total coefficient of Cronbach's α of OSCE was 0.700 (95%CI 0.660 to 0.737). The coefficient of Cronbach's α of internationally-published literature was 0.745 (95%CI 0.696 to 0.790) and that of nationally-published literature was 0.648 (95%CI 0.584 to 0.705), with a significant difference between two groups.
ConclusionCurrently, the reliability of internationally/nationally-used OSCE is 0.7, which has relatively better reliability when used in the tests for evaluating clinical capacities of medical students at home and aboard. However, the reliability of OSCE at abroad is fairly better than that at home.
