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Psychometric Development of the Research and Knowledge Scale
Lauren R Powell1, Elizabeth Ojukwu, Sharina D Person
1Departments of *Quantitative Health Sciences and of Medicine, Division of Behavioral and Preventive Medicine †Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School ‡Medicine, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA.
Medical Care
|September 1, 2016
Summary
A new scale, the Research and Knowledge Scale (RaKS), effectively measures research literacy. This tool helps identify gaps in understanding health research, improving informed consent and participation.
Area of Science:
- Health literacy research
- Psychometric scale development
- Patient engagement in research
Background:
- Many research participants lack understanding of health research terms, procedures, and goals.
- No validated instruments currently exist to assess comprehension of health-related research information.
- Research literacy is proposed as a key concept encompassing understanding of research purpose and nature.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the Research and Knowledge Scale (RaKS).
- To measure research literacy in a culturally and literacy-sensitive manner.
- To provide a tool for assessing understanding of health-related research.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative methods and literature reviews informed item development.
- Expert panel reviews and cognitive pretesting refined the scale.
- Psychometric analyses, including reliability and factor analysis, were conducted on a sample of 430 participants.
Main Results:
- The RaKS consists of 16 items with strong internal consistency (Kuder-Richardson-20 = 0.81) and test-retest reliability (0.84).
- Significant differences in research literacy scores were observed across various sociodemographic subgroups, including race/ethnicity, age, education, income, and health literacy.
Conclusions:
- The RaKS demonstrates preliminary reliability and validity for measuring research participants' understanding of health research.
- This scale can identify areas for improvement in informed decision-making regarding research participation.
- The RaKS offers a valuable tool for enhancing patient comprehension in clinical research settings.
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