Is PHEEM a multi-dimensional instrument? An international perspective.
OBJECTIVE
To look at the characteristics of Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure (PHEEM) using data from the UK, Brazil, Chile and the Netherlands, and to examine the reliability and characteristics of PHEEM, especially how the three PHEEM subscales fitted with factors derived statistically from the data sets.


METHODS
Statistical analysis of PHEEM scores from 1563 sets of data, using reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis and correlations of factors derived with the three defined PHEEM subscales.


RESULTS
PHEEM was very reliable with an overall Cronbach's alpha of 0.928. Three factors were derived by exploratory factor analysis. Factor One correlated most strongly with the teaching subscale (R = 0.802), Factor Two correlated most strongly with the role autonomy subscale (R = 0.623) and Factor Three correlated most strongly with the social support subscale (R = 0.538).


CONCLUSIONS
PHEEM is a multi-dimensional instrument. Overall, it is very reliable. There is a good fit of the three defined subscales, derived by qualitative methods, with the three principal factors derived from the data by exploratory factor analysis.
Wall
David
D
West Midlands Deanery, West Midlands, UK. d.w.wall@btopenworld.com
Clapham
Mike
M
Riquelme
Arnoldo
A
Vieira
Joaquim
J
Cartmill
Richard
R
Aspegren
Knut
K
Roff
Sue
S
D003697:Delphi Technique; D005060:Europe; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D017144:Focus Groups; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D007396:Internship and Residency; D013020:South America; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D013663:Teaching / Q000592:standards*