Development of a scale to measure shared problem-solving and decision-making in mental healthcare

Shoesmith WD 1 , Abdullah AC 2 , Tan BY 2 , Kamu A 3 , Ho CM 3 , Giridharan B 4 Show all authors , Forman D 5 , Fyfe S 6

Affiliations 

  • 1 Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia; Faculty of Business, Curtin University, Miri, Malaysia. Electronic address: wshoesmith@ums.edu.my
  • 2 Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
  • 3 Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Malaysia
  • 4 Faculty of Humanities, Curtin University, Miri, Malaysia
  • 5 School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia; College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby, UK
  • 6 School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
Patient Educ Couns, 2022 Jan 15.
PMID: 35078681 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2022.01.005

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to create a measure of collaborative processes between healthcare team members, patients, and carers.

METHODS: A shared decision-making scale was developed using a qualitative research derived model and refined using Rasch and factor analysis. The scale was used by staff in the hospital for four consecutive years (n = 152, 121, 119 and 121) and by two independent patients' and carers' samples (n = 223 and 236).

RESULTS: Respondents had difficulty determining what constituted a decision and the scale was redeveloped after first use in patients and carers. The initial focus on shared decision-making was changed to shared problem-solving. Two factors were found in the first staff sample: shared problem-solving and shared decision-making. The structure was confirmed on the second patients' and carers' sample and an independent staff sample consisting of the first data-points for the last three years. The shared problem-solving and decision-making scale (SPSDM) demonstrated evidence of convergent and divergent validity, internal consistency, measurement invariance on longitudinal data and sensitivity to change.

CONCLUSIONS: Shared problem-solving was easier to measure than shared decision-making in this context.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Shared problem-solving is an important component of collaboration, as well as shared decision-making.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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