The Jefferson Scale of Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Collaboration (JeffSATIC): development and multi-institution psychometric data

Abstract

This study was designed to develop a psychometrically sound instrument to measure attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration in health profession students and practitioners regardless of their professions and areas of practice. Based on a review of the literature a list of 27 items was generated, 12 faculty judged the face validity of the items, and 124 health profession faculty examined the content validity of the items. The preliminary version of the instrument was administered to 1976 health profession students in three universities (Thomas Jefferson University, n = 510; Midwestern University, n = 392; and Monash University, n = 1074). Twenty items that survived the psychometric scrutiny were included in the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Collaboration (JeffSATIC). Two constructs of “working relationships” and “accountability” emerged from factor analysis of the JeffSATIC. Cronbach’s α coefficients for the JeffSATIC ranged from 0.84 to 0.90 in the three samples. Women obtained significantly higher JeffSATIC mean scores than men. Medical students obtained lower mean score on the JeffSATIC than most other health profession students at the same university. Psychometric support from a relatively large sample size of students in a variety of health profession programs in this multi-institutional study is encouraging which adds to the credibility of the JeffSATIC.

• Attitudes
• interprofessional collaboration
• interprofessional education
• psychometrics
• teamwork
• test development

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the following Jefferson colleagues who served as members of the expert panel in the initial Step of the study: Jennifer Bellot, Ph.D., Tracey Earland, M.S., Alan Forstater, M.D., Caroline Golab, Ph.D., Mary Hess, Pharm D., Marcia Levinson, Ph.D., James Pelagano, M.D., Elizabeth Speakman, Ed. D., and Christina Truluck, Ph.D. We also thank Dorissa Bolinski for her editorial assistance. We thank Paulette Burdick for her administrative help at Midwestern University. We would also like to thank the following colleagues in Australia: Ted Brown, Ph.D., Claire Palermo, Ph.D., Michel Storr, M.S., Scott Stewart, M.S., and Lisa McKenna, Ph.D. for their assistance in recruiting student participation, and David Stevens for data entry.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors are responsible for the writing and content of this article.

Notes

¹A copy of the JeffSATIC can be provided by contacting the authors.