The Japanese version of the Healthcare Professional Communication Skills Scale (HP-CSS) translation and validation study

Objectives This study aimed to translate and validate the Japanese version of the Healthcare Professional Communication Skills Scale (HP-CSS). Methods This methodological study was conducted between September 2024 and June 2025. Japanese healthcare professionals were recruited via convenience sampling, and demographic data and the 18-item HP-CSS were collected. Item analysis, known-group discriminant validity, confirmatory factor analysis, and internal consistency reliability were calculated. Results Healthcare professionals (N=362) were analyzed, with nurses/midwives (31.4%), physicians (26.9%), and those in their 30 s (31.9%) making up the majority. Item analysis revealed that 17 items demonstrated adequate discriminative ability (critical ratios >3.0), except item related to social skill. Most items showed weak to strong correlations with the total HP-CSS score (r = -0.30 to 0.75, p < 0.001), whereas items related to social skill had weaker associations. Items related to social skill and informative communication showed markedly low corrected item-total correlations. In confirmatory factor analysis, the initial model fit was marginal (χ²/df = 3.45, CFI = 0.88, RMSEA = 0.08, TLI = 0.86), but improved after removing these items (χ² = 207.19, df = 84, χ²/df = 2.47, CFI = 0.95, RMSEA = 0.06, TLI = 0.94, IFI = 0.95). Internal consistency was excellent for the total scale (Cronbach's α = 0.87), with acceptable subscale reliabilities except for social skill. Conclusions The Japanese HP-CSS showed promise. However, items related to social skill and informative communication may need to be modified or removed to accommodate cultural differences in Japan. This study provides the first validated Japanese scale to quantify healthcare professionals’ people-centered communication skills.