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Communication in Dental Settings Scale (CDSS): Preliminary development of a measure to assess communication in dental settings
Author(s) -
Newton J. T.,
Brenneman D. L.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
british journal of health psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.05
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 2044-8287
pISSN - 1359-107X
DOI - 10.1348/135910799168623
Subject(s) - scale (ratio) , reliability (semiconductor) , patient satisfaction , psychology , measure (data warehouse) , clinical psychology , psychometrics , sample (material) , medicine , nursing , data mining , computer science , power (physics) , chemistry , physics , chromatography , quantum mechanics
Objectives. To examine the inter‐rater reliability of a newly developed measure of the communication process in dental settings. To assess the relationship between the measure of communication process and patient satisfaction with the consultation. Design. An observation‐based assessment scale for dentist‐patient consultations was developed, based upon a theoretical model of dentist‐patient communication. Behavioural definitions for each item were developed on the basis of observations of five video‐recorded consultations. Inter‐rater reliability for the scale was then assessed by observation of 34 student dentist‐patient consultations. Validity of the scale was assessed by examining the correlation between the scale and other measures of the dentist‐patient consultation and with patient satisfaction. Results. All items on the scale showed acceptable levels of inter‐rater reliability. The scale correlates well with other measures of communication and with patient satisfaction with the interview. Conclusions. The CDSS proved to be a reliable and valid measure for the assessment of communication processes in the limited sample studied. Further research is required to assess its applicability in a broader range of settings.