Validity and reliability of the modified Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale translated into the native...

The increasing complexity of health care has highlighted the need for interprofessional education (IPE) to foster collaborative practice among health professionals. The Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale (ATHCTS) is a widely recognized tool for assessing attitudes toward teamwork, with a modified 14-item version (modified ATHCTS) adapted for broader use. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the modified ATHCTS translated into the native languages of four countries - Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and Mongolia - to determine its applicability in diverse cultural and educational settings. The study participants were 1,705 students from various health disciplines. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the scale's construct validity, revealing a two-factor structure ("Team Value" and "Team Efficiency") in most contexts, although factor structure of the factor "Team Value" varied by country. These differences suggest that cultural and educational contexts, particularly clinical exposure, might influence how students conceptualize professional identity and team communication. Although the modified ATHCTS is a valid universal tool, researchers should apply country-specific factor structures to ensure accurate assessment and tailor IPE curricula to local professional identity formation needs.