The Compassionate HEART Patient Questionnaire: Validation and Reliability of a Novel Measure of Relationship-Centered...

To establish the validity and reliability of the Compassionate HEART Patient Questionnaire (CHPQ) for measuring relationship-centered care and exploring associations between patient ratings and mood state changes in patients with persistent pain.

Thirty-nine adults with persistent pain (>3 months) completed pre-/post-interaction Profile of Mood States assessments and rated providers using the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure and the novel CHPQ following physical therapy evaluations. Psychometric properties were assessed through factor analysis, concurrent validity (correlation with CARE), and internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha). Pre-post mood changes were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

The CHPQ demonstrated good internal consistency (α = 0.86) and moderate correlation with CARE (r = 0.673, p < 0.001). Factor analysis revealed three factors explaining 85.9% of variance: Connected Compassionate Competence (54.3%), Genuine Therapeutic Presence (18.1%), and Relational Alliance (13.5%). Total Mood Disturbance decreased significantly post-interaction (-17.41 points, p < 0.001) with reductions in anger, tension, confusion, depression, and fatigue. Vigor also decreased significantly (-8.70, p < 0.001). CHPQ scores negatively correlated with fatigue reduction (r = -0.493, p = 0.001).

The CHPQ shows promising psychometric properties as a comprehensive measure of relationship-centered care. The paradoxical vigor decrease alongside reduced negative affect suggests complex emotional processing during therapeutic encounters. The correlation between CHPQ scores and fatigue reduction indicates that compassionate care may mitigate specific distress aspects in patients with persistent pain. Future research should explore longitudinal outcomes and incorporate qualitative methods.