Patient-physician communication in the context of diabetes care: Adaptation and assessment of psychometric properties of a Persian version of the interpersonal process of care survey (P-IPC)

Abstract

Aims: To examine the psychometric characteristics and explore the preliminary validity of the Persian version of the Interpersonal Processes of Care Survey (P-IPC) to assess patient-physician communication in the context of diabetes care.

Methods: After adapting, translating, examining content validity, and pretesting the questionnaire, it was administered to 300 patients with diabetes. Confirmatory factor analysis identified the factor structure (scales). Variability, item-scale correlations, reliability, and construct validity of the final scales were examined.

Results: Factor analysis supported the hypothesized second-order factor model with 27 of the 29 items:11 first-, and 7 second-order common factors. Scale scores were calculated for the 7 second-order factors. Internal-consistency reliability for the 7 scales ranged from 0.60 to 0.90 and 2-week test-retest correlations ranged from 0.89 to 0.96. The communication and interpersonal style domains of the P-IPC demonstrated high ceiling effects suggesting good patient-physician communication. The P-IPC scales differentiated between patients in the language-concordant and language-discordant groups, and patterns of correlations with three patient satisfaction measures corresponded to hypotheses.

Conclusion: The P-IPC includes all of the second-order scales identified in the original IPC. Evidence of its reliability and validity suggest it can be useful for assessing patient-physician communication in the context of diabetes care.

Keywords: Assessment instrument; Cultural adaptation; Diabetes care; Patient-physician communication; Psychometrics; Quality of care.