Use of the trust in physician scale in patients with rheumatic disease: Psychometric properties and correlates of trust in the rheumatologist

Abstract

Objectives. To assess the psychometric properties of the Trust in Physician Scale and to identify variables associated with patients' trust in their rheumatologist. Methods. Analyses of self reported data from 713 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, or fibromyalgia. Study variables included the Trust in Physician Scale, a decision-making question, a medical skepticism measure, and demographic and health-related measures. Internal consistency and construct validity were assessed using correlational analyses and factor analysis. A regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with trust in the rheumatologist. Results. Internal consistency of the scale was high (Cronbach's alpha ‫؍‬ 0.87). Scale items also loaded on a single factor. Construct validity was supported by inverse correlations between higher trust scores and both skepticism and independent decision making. Decreased trust was associated with older age, minority status, higher education, diagnosis of fibromyalgia or osteoarthritis, and poorer health. Conclusion. The Trust in Physician Scale is appropriate for patients with rheumatic disease. Several patient characteristics appear to be associated with lower trust in the rheumatologist.

Trust in Physician Scale: Factor structure, reliability, validity and correlates of trust in a sample of Nigerian psychiatric outpatients

“…We also found that Nigeria psychiatric outpatients' trust on principal component analysis is best explained by a 2 factor construct and not a distinct construct as reported by other authors (Freburger et al, 2003). Interestingly, the reversely scored items (1, 5, 7 and 11) all loaded on a single factor, while the other items loaded on the second factor.…”

“…Cronbach's alpha value of 0.70 or above is considered acceptable and value ranges of 0.60-0.69 are marginally acceptable (Gliner and Morgan, 2000). The item-to-scale (Anderson and Dedrick, 1990;Freburger et al, 2003). We are of the opinion that, despite the relatively weak psychometric characteristics of the TPS, it is still applicable in evaluating the level of trust that Nigerian psychiatric outpatients have in their psychiatrists, based on our observation that the participants were able to demonstrate an understanding of the items of the scale and coupled with the observation of a high mean score (75.74), a value that is comparable to what the original authors reported (78.9) (Anderson and Dedrick, 1990).…”

“…The authors of a study that involved 728 patients with rheumatoid disease reported a mean score of 76.25 on the TPS and a high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.87) with principal factor analysis producing a one factor construct, with decreased trust been associated with older age, minority status, higher education and a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and poorer health (Freburger et al, 2003). In another study involving a total of 235 African-American and white patients on treatment for inflammatory bowel disease, Nguyen and colleagues reported that apart from race and age, trust in the physician is a potentially modifiable predictor of adherence to medical therapy (Nguyen et al, 2009).…”

Emergency Department Use among HIV-Infected Released Jail Detainees

“…This was measured continuously using a validated 31-item Social Support Scale (range is 0-100), with greater scores representing greater perceived social support. 51 Trust in physicians was scored using an 11-item validated, five-point Likert scale, and the score was derived from a mean of the responses (range is 0-100), with higher scores representing greater trust 52 .…”

Trust but Verify: The Interactive Effects of Trust and Autonomy Preferences on Health Outcomes

“…In a large survey, trust in physicians is positively correlated with self-reported health status [30]. Others have corroborated this finding [5,24]. Researchers have also showed that trust in one's physician is associated with improvements in both mental and physical health-related quality of life [46].…”