Article type
Year
Abstract
Background:
Improving people's critical skills and, more specifically, their ability to assess treatment claims, is essential for informed decision-making. Currently, there is no procedure or instrument available for assessing such abilities in China. The Informed Health Choice (IHC) Claim Evaluation Tools database was developed using qualitative and quantitative methods in six countries, and it contains multiple-choice questions (MCQs) for measuring people’s ability to assess treatment claims.
Objectives:
To describe the psychometric testing using Rasch analysis of a test in Mandarin developed from the Claim Evaluation Tools database.
Methods:
We translated selected MCQs from the IHC Claim Evaluation Tools database to Mandarin and created a test including 24 MCQs covering 11 key concepts. We used purposeful sampling and surveyed children and adults in the Lanzhou area. In total 389 responses were entered into the analysis. We evaluated the psychometric properties of the test using Rasch analysis and the RUMM2030 software, testing for internal construct validity (multidimensionality), invariance of the items (Item-Person Interaction) and item bias (differential item functioning).
Results:
Overall, we found the psychometric properties of the test to be satisfactory. Based on findings from the Rasch analysis, we deleted three MCQs with sub-optimal fit.
Conclusions:
The resulting test includes 21 MCQs and it can be used in schools and other teaching settings, in randomised trials evaluating the outcomes of educational interventions or in cross-sectional studies in Mandarin-speaking populations in China.
Patient or healthcare consumer involvement:
The evaluation instrument described in this abstract was developed by children, their parents and teachers in collaboration with methodological experts. To our knowledge, this is the first instrument assessing people's critical assessment skills that can be used for both professionals and consumers (including children).
Improving people's critical skills and, more specifically, their ability to assess treatment claims, is essential for informed decision-making. Currently, there is no procedure or instrument available for assessing such abilities in China. The Informed Health Choice (IHC) Claim Evaluation Tools database was developed using qualitative and quantitative methods in six countries, and it contains multiple-choice questions (MCQs) for measuring people’s ability to assess treatment claims.
Objectives:
To describe the psychometric testing using Rasch analysis of a test in Mandarin developed from the Claim Evaluation Tools database.
Methods:
We translated selected MCQs from the IHC Claim Evaluation Tools database to Mandarin and created a test including 24 MCQs covering 11 key concepts. We used purposeful sampling and surveyed children and adults in the Lanzhou area. In total 389 responses were entered into the analysis. We evaluated the psychometric properties of the test using Rasch analysis and the RUMM2030 software, testing for internal construct validity (multidimensionality), invariance of the items (Item-Person Interaction) and item bias (differential item functioning).
Results:
Overall, we found the psychometric properties of the test to be satisfactory. Based on findings from the Rasch analysis, we deleted three MCQs with sub-optimal fit.
Conclusions:
The resulting test includes 21 MCQs and it can be used in schools and other teaching settings, in randomised trials evaluating the outcomes of educational interventions or in cross-sectional studies in Mandarin-speaking populations in China.
Patient or healthcare consumer involvement:
The evaluation instrument described in this abstract was developed by children, their parents and teachers in collaboration with methodological experts. To our knowledge, this is the first instrument assessing people's critical assessment skills that can be used for both professionals and consumers (including children).