Development of the Interpersonal Processes of Care Survey-Japanese version

In the past two decades, there has been growing interest in patient-doctor communication in psychiatry, and several treatment options have been established. This study aimed to develop the Interpersonal Processes of Care Survey-Japanese version (IPC-J), which measures multidimensional communication and the relationship between doctors and patients in Japanese psychiatry.

We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey at one psychiatric hospital and two psychiatric clinics in Japan and investigated the factor validity, convergent validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability of the IPC-J.

Overall, 148 eligible patients participated in the study and were included in the analyses. Data from 16 participants were used to examine test-retest reliability. An exploratory factor analysis using 23 items from the IPC scale was performed to clarify the factor structure in a Japanese psychiatric setting. The final IPC-J contained 22 items and a two-factor structural model. High internal consistency (α > .8) and moderate test-retest reliability (interclass correlation > .65) were observed. Regarding convergent validity, the factor 1 "Doctor's communication-related attitudes and skills" was significantly correlated with service satisfaction, empowerment, and medication adherence, whereas the factor 2 "Consideration for the patient's to promote own treatment decisions" was correlated with service satisfaction and medication adherence.

The IPC-J appears to be a useful tool for assessing patient views on interpersonal communication with doctors in a Japanese psychiatric setting. While the analysis suggested utilizing an IPC-J with 22 items, the full IPC-J can be used in cross-cultural studies.