Abstract
We sought to develop a reliable and valid measure of patient self-efficacy within the context of productive communication and positive attitude for cancer patients. A set of 19 potential items for the Communication and Attitudinal Self-Efficacy scale for cancer (CASE-cancer) was pilot tested with 50 cancer patients. Based on the pilot test, item valence was made consistent (i.e., all items worded positively) and the response scale was simplified. The CASE-cancer was then administered to 127 persons receiving cancer treatment at general oncology clinics in Shreveport, Louisiana and Chicago, Illinois. Psychometric analyses revealed three 4-item factors: understanding and participating in care, maintaining a positive attitude, and seeking and obtaining information. The CASE-cancer proved to have high internal consistency and construct validity. Moreover, scale items performed similarly across literacy levels. The CASE-cancer is a psychometrically-sound tool that may provide new information on important mediating factors of cancer care. Our two-step approach to presenting response options may also provide a model for helping lower literate patients more accurately respond to survey items.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 333-341 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Patient Education and Counseling |
| Volume | 57 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 2005 |
Keywords
- Attitude
- Cancer
- Communication
- Literacy
- Self-efficacy