The Localization, development and validation of a survey instrument to assess attitudes toward professionalism based on the opinions of clinical teachers

BACKGROUND: This study examined the validation of a survey instrument to assess attitudes toward professionalism based on the opinions of clinical teachers in Iran and localized it. METHODS: The research is applied-descriptive, that is conducted in two stages: qualitative and quantitative. Fifteen expert professors in the field of professionalism from Iranian universities of medical sciences participated in qualitative stage by Delphi. sampling method was purposive. In the quantitative stage, using simple and quota sampling method, 82 samples were collected from all clinical professors of first ranked universities of medical sciences. We used “The Penn State College of Medicine Professionalism Questionnaire”( PSCOM) as a basic questionnaire. Its validity assessed by Delphi and survey. Some items changed, deleted and added. Then it confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis. Data analysis was performed using one-sample t-test and SmartPLS software. RESULTS: Seven dimensions and 48 final indicators were approved and all 7 dimensions were in good condition. Among the approved dimensions, “the enrichment” with a factor load of 0.238, was the biggest factor in measuring the variable of professionalism. The dimensions of “respect”, “responsibility”, “altruism”, “duty”, “honor, honesty and justice”, “respectively” with factor loads of 0.215, 0.212, 0.163, 0.146, 0.106 and 0.047 are ranked in order. CONCLUSION: the most dimensions in PSCOM are accepted by experts and teachers, but there are many differences in details. If we want to have an accurate tool for measuring attitudes toward professionalism, then, it is necessary to study localization and validation of instrument to assess attitudes toward professionalism in every new community. Delphi and factor analysis could be useful for assessing tool in new community.