title: The psychometrics of developing the patient empowerment scale.
abstract: Although patient empowerment is widely acknowledged as important by health professionals it remains a somewhat nebulous concept. An initial empowerment measure has been developed through an extensive review of literature combined with a series of in-depth interviews of cancer patients concerning their use of coping strategies. The results were analysed for major themes in relation to sense of control over the illness. A set of twenty-eight statements were formulated from themes into a Likert-type scale for self-completion by 100 cancer patients. The scale could be used in assessing level of empowerment amongst cancer patients thereby establishing through this information, the patient's ability to make decisions about coping with their illness.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of General Practice, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. cbulsara@meddent.uwa.edu.au
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bulsara
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Styles
authors.forename: Alison M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bulsara
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires