A Scale for Measuring Electronic Patient Engagement Behaviors: Development and Validation

Abstract

Purpose Advancements in electronic health (eHealth) technology have profoundly impacted patient engagement. This study aimed to develop and validate the Electronic Patient Engagement Behavior (EPEB) scale to measure the conceptual and underlying framework of patient engagement behaviors in an eHealth context. Patients and Methods Initial measurement items were generated based on a literature review and qualitative research. Two rounds of surveys, a pilot survey and validation survey, were conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the scale. Results The EPEB scale consists of 15 items in four dimensions: disease information search, physician-patient interaction, social interaction between patients, and disease self-monitoring. In the pilot survey, the exploratory factor analysis revealed a four-factor model, explaining 69.411% of variance. In the validation survey, the Cronbach’s α coefficient of each sub-scale was 0.865, 0.904, 0.904, and 0.900 respectively. The Spearman-Brown split coefficient of the scale was 0.963. The results of the cross-sex measurement equivalence test indicate that all fit indices met the measurement criteria. The confirmatory factor analysis indicated second-order 4-factor model fit the data well. The EPEB has a good reliability and validity. Conclusion The EPEB scale provides a reliable tool for measuring patient engagement behaviors in the eHealth context. The utilization of this scale may yield valuable insights into strategies for enhancing patient engagement and optimizing health outcomes.