A case of validity evidence for the Interprofessional Attitudes Scale

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Psychometrics
• Interprofessional Collaboration

Background:

• Numerous instruments exist for assessing interprofessional attitudes, with the Interprofessional Attitudes Scale (IPAS) being one such measure.
• The validity of assessment tools is crucial for accurate evaluation in health professions education.

Observation:

• This three-year longitudinal study collected data from 337 first-year health professionals.
• Multiple statistical methods, including Exploratory Factor Analysis, Item Analysis, and Item Response Theory, were employed to evaluate the IPAS.
• Data were analyzed both separately and cumulatively across the assessment methods.

Findings:

• The study identified significant issues concerning the content, response process, internal structure, and consequential validity of the IPAS.
• These findings, derived from rigorous psychometric analyses, challenge the reliability and appropriateness of the IPAS.
• Both individual and combined analyses revealed psychometric weaknesses in the scale's construction and application.

Implications:

• The validity concerns raised necessitate a critical re-evaluation of the IPAS and similar instruments used for assessing interprofessional attitudes.
• Educators and researchers should consider alternative or revised methods for measuring attitudes in interprofessional education.
• This research contributes essential validity evidence, prompting a broader discussion on the utility of current attitude assessment tools in healthcare training.