Psychometric evaluation of the Arabic language person-centred climate questionnaire-staff version

Aim To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Arabic language person-centred climate questionnaire—staff version. Background There have been increasing calls for a person-centred rather than a disease-centred approach to health care. A limited number of tools measure the extent to which care is delivered in a person-centred manner, and none of these tools have been validated for us in Arab settings. Method The validated form of the person-centred climate questionnaire—staff version was translated into Arabic and distributed to 152 health care staff in teaching and non-teaching hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Statistical estimates of validity and reliability were used for psychometric evaluation. Results Items on the Arabic form of the person-centred climate questionnaire—staff version had high reliability (Cronbach's alpha .98). Cronbach's alpha values for the three sub-scales (safety, everydayness and community), were .96, .97 and .95 respectively. Internal consistency was also high and measures of validity were very good. Conclusion Arabic form of the person-centred climate questionnaire—staff version provides a valid and reliable way to measure the degree of perceived person-centredness. Implications for nursing management The tool can be used for comparing levels of person-centredness between wards, units, and public and private hospitals. The tool can also be used to measure the extent of person-centredness in health care settings in other Arab countries.