Development of a Cancer Related Patient Empowerment Scale Using the Polytomous Rasch Measurement Model

Abstract

Aims and Objectives: A scale to measure empowerment amongst cancer patients was developed in order to understand and quantify empowerment amongst cancer patients. Background: Within the field of cancer research, understanding the ways in which cancer patients gain control over their illness can be an important factor in helping patients reduce anxiety and maintain a reasonable quality of life. Design: The Patient Empowerment Scale was developed from a set of markers identified from the literature on empowerment and self-efficacy and from interviews with patients. Methods: The Polytomous Rasch Measurement Model was selected as the most appropriate means of examining the psychometric properties of the scale items, and of investigating how cancer patient respondents interacted with each statement. Results: Items from the initial 28-item scale were refined using the results from the Rasch analysis to form the final 15-item scale. The Person Separation Index of 0.78 indicated an acceptable degree of reliability. Conclusion: The results indicate the scale has acceptable psychometric properties which may be enhanced by the development of more intense items to better measure patients with high levels of empowerment and thereby increase the reliability of their measures.