Psychometric properties of two instruments measuring self-efficacy and outcome expectations of providing inhaler technique education to patients

Abstract

Introduction

Both the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) asthma practice guidelines recommend that providers routinely check inhaler technique and correct any mistakes that patients may make when using these devices. Providers, however, rarely check inhaler technique during asthma visits. The objectives of this study were to: (1) describe the development of an instrument to measure self-efficacy and outcome expectations regarding inhaler technique patient education, (2) evaluate the internal consistency reliability of the new scales, and (3) provide preliminary evidence of construct validity. Methods: First- and second-year physician assistant (PA) students at two institutions completed an anonymous and voluntary survey evaluating two new instruments, the Teaching Inhalers to Patients: Self-efficacy (TIP-SE) and the Teaching Inhalers to Patients: Outcome Expectations (TIP-OE) scales and sociodemographic characteristics. The data were analyzed using Principal Components Analysis (PCA), Cronbach’s α, and multivariable logistic regression. Results: We had usable responses from 146 PA students (71.9% participation rate). The PCA identified one factor for the TIP-SE and TIP-OE, respectively. The internal consistency of the TIP-SE and TIP-OE was α = 0.96 and α = 0.92, respectively. The logistic regression found that second-year PA students who had higher mean TIP-SE scores were significantly more likely to report teaching patients to use inhalers during rotations (OR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.1, 2.9). There was not a statistically significant relationship between reporting teaching patients to use inhalers during rotations and mean TIP-OE scores. Conclusion: The TIP-SE and TIP-OE show preliminary evidence of reliability and validity.

Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/02770903.2021.2008428 .

Keywords:

• Asthma
• metered-dose inhalers
• dry powder inhalers
• factor analyses
• health personnel

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the PA students who completed the survey for their time and effort. The authors also acknowledge Carol Hildebrandt, BA, who helped facilitate the research project.

Declaration of interest

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

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.