Arif Marium, Sajjad Madiha, Khan Rehan Ahmed, Ehsan Hafiz Rabbi Ul
SehatKahani, Karachi, Pakistan.
Riphah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
BMC Med Educ. 2025 Jan 28;25(1):136. doi: 10.1186/s12909-025-06751-5.
Telehealth is gaining importance in improving healthcare access and outcomes, particularly in underserved regions. Despite its potential, healthcare providers in developing countries struggle to effectively utilize telehealth tools, highlighting the need for structured training. This study aims to develop and validate a specialized tool to assess the telehealth educational environment, addressing the unique challenges of integrating clinical, technological, and interpersonal skills in telehealth education.
(1) To develop a tool for measuring the telehealth educational environment, addressing the unique aspects of telehealth education. (2) To evaluate the validity and reliability of the tool.
This mixed-methods exploratory study had two phases. In Phase 1, the THEEM tool was developed through a literature review and expert feedback. In Phase 2, the tool was validated using content validity, response process validity via cognitive interviews, and construct validity through Exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Participants included telehealth physicians, selected via purposive sampling. Data analysis involved calculating the content validity index for items (CVI-I) and the scale (CVI-S), with values ≥ 0.7. For factor analysis, eigenvalues > 1 and factor loadings ≥ 0.50 were retained. Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency was considered acceptable at ≥ 0.7.
The Preliminary THEEM tool consisted of 35 items. Following content validity through expert validation, the number of items was reduced to 32 based on I-CVI values. S-CVI was 0.86. Exploratory factor analysis yielded three factors with a further reduction in the item number to 30. Internal consistency of the final tool with 30 items was calculated as 0·9, suggesting excellent internal consistency of the tool.
The THEEM tool provides a valuable, reliable, and valid instrument for assessing the telehealth educational environment. Its development fills a significant gap in existing measurement tools, specifically addressing the needs of telehealth education.
远程医疗在改善医疗服务可及性和治疗效果方面正变得越来越重要,尤其是在医疗服务不足的地区。尽管具有潜力,但发展中国家的医疗服务提供者在有效利用远程医疗工具方面仍面临困难,这凸显了进行结构化培训的必要性。本研究旨在开发并验证一种专门用于评估远程医疗教育环境的工具,以应对在远程医疗教育中整合临床、技术和人际技能所面临的独特挑战。
(1)开发一种用于测量远程医疗教育环境的工具,以应对远程医疗教育的独特方面。(2)评估该工具的有效性和可靠性。
这项混合方法的探索性研究分为两个阶段。在第一阶段,通过文献综述和专家反馈开发了远程医疗教育环境评估工具(THEEM)。在第二阶段,使用内容效度、通过认知访谈评估的反应过程效度以及通过探索性因素分析(EFA)评估的结构效度对该工具进行验证。使用克朗巴哈系数评估信度。参与者包括通过目的抽样选择的远程医疗医生。数据分析包括计算项目的内容效度指数(CVI-I)和量表的内容效度指数(CVI-S),其值≥0.7。对于因素分析,保留特征值>1且因子载荷≥0.50的因素。内部一致性的克朗巴哈系数≥0.7被认为是可接受的。
初步的THEEM工具由35个项目组成。通过专家验证实现内容效度后,根据I-CVI值将项目数量减少到32个。S-CVI为0.86。探索性因素分析产生了三个因素,项目数量进一步减少到30个。最终30个项目的工具的内部一致性计算为0.9,表明该工具具有出色的内部一致性。
THEEM工具为评估远程医疗教育环境提供了一种有价值、可靠且有效的工具。它的开发填补了现有测量工具中的一个重大空白,特别满足了远程医疗教育的需求。