Refinement and Preliminary Validation of the Technological Competency as Caring in Healthcare Instrument (TCCHI):...

Background/Objectives: With the increasing need for interprofessional team-based care, a practical framework is necessary to evaluate the caring competencies of healthcare providers. This study aimed to develop a refined, concise version of the Technological Competency as Caring in Healthcare Instrument (TCCHI) by: (1) reducing the items from the original 38-item Delphi-validated pool through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and (2) providing a preliminary assessment of its structural validity and reliability. Methods: An online survey was conducted with 528 healthcare professionals across Japan. The CFA process began with the 38 items identified in a previous Delphi study. To optimize model fit and ensure interprofessional applicability, items were systematically refined based on both statistical criteria and theoretical relevance, resulting in a 12-item, three-factor structure. Results: The final 12-item model demonstrated an improved and generally acceptable fit: chi-square to degrees of freedom ratio (χ²/df) = 3.96, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.947, Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.931, and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.0749. All factor loadings were statistically significant (p < 0.001) and ranged from 0.437 to 0.83. Composite reliability (CR) for the three factors ranged from 0.700 to 0.827, meeting the threshold for internal consistency. While average variance extracted (AVE) values for some factors were below 0.50, the overall model provided a stable and theoretically consistent structure, albeit as a preliminary psychometric refinement. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence for the structural validity and reliability of a refined 12-item, three-factor TCCHI. By offering a concise measurement tool aligned with caring theory, the TCCHI has the potential to support interprofessional assessment, education, and professional development in technology-mediated healthcare environments. However, further research is required to address issues of discriminant validity and confirm measurement invariance across different professional groups.