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Validation of the brazilian version of the Penn State College of Medicine Professionalism Questionnaire

Validação da versão brasileira do Questionário de Profissionalismo da Penn State College of Medicine

Abstract

Introduction:

Assessing professionalism represents a challenge for medical educators given the nature of its construct, which comprises diverse values, beliefs, and principles. Understanding this psychological phenomenon is fundamental for reaching the goals in medical education.

Objective:

This study aimed to translate into Brazilian Portuguese and to validate the Penn State College of Medicine Professionalism Questionnaire.

Method:

The questionnaire was translated, and cross-culturally adapted into Brazilian Portuguese using data from 249 medical students. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted, using a polychoric matrix and the Robust Diagonally Weighted Least Squares method of extraction. The following model adequacy indexes and criteria were used: Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) adjustment indexes <0.08, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) and Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) >0.90.

Result:

The exploratory factor analysis obtained a KMO = 0.920, and a significant Bartlett’s test of sphericity (2719.0, gl = 630; P <0.001). The parallel analysis yielded a three-factor solution, which showed adequate levels of reliability: Professional-Patient Relationship, Professional Development and Ethical Commitment. The three-factor solution was the best one found to represent the data.

Conclusion:

The questionnaire evidenced good psychometric properties and appropriateness to evaluate medical students’ professionalism, contributing to reach more desirable ethical standards in medical education.

Keywords:
Professional Ethics; Professionalism; Validation Studies; Exploratory Factor Analysis; Medical Education

Resumo

Introdução:

Avaliar o profissionalismo representa um desafio para os educadores médicos dada a natureza de seu construto que compreende diversos valores, crenças e princípios. A compreensão desse fenômeno psicológico é fundamental para o alcance dos objetivos da educação médica.

Objetivo:

Este estudo teve como objetivos traduzir para o português brasileiro e validar o Questionário de Profissionalismo da Penn State College of Medicine.

Método:

O questionário foi traduzido e adaptado transculturalmente para o português brasileiro com dados de 249 estudantes de Medicina. Na condução da análise fatorial exploratória, utilizaram-se uma matriz policórica e o método de extração Robust Diagonally Weighted Least Squares. Os seguintes índices e critérios de adequação do modelo foram usados: índices de ajuste da raiz quadrada da média do erro de aproximação (RMSEA) < 0,08, índice de ajuste comparativo (CFI) e índice de Tucker-Lewis (TLI) > 0,90.

Resultado:

A análise fatorial exploratória obteve um KMO = 0,920 e um teste de esfericidade de Bartlett significativo (2719,0, gl = 630; P < 0,001). A análise paralela resultou em uma solução de três fatores que apresentou níveis adequados de confiabilidade: relacionamento profissional-paciente, desenvolvimento profissional e compromisso ético. A solução de três fatores foi considerada a melhor para representar os dados.

Conclusão:

O questionário evidenciou boas propriedades psicométricas e adequação para avaliar o profissionalismo dos estudantes de Medicina, contribuindo para o alcance de padrões éticos mais desejáveis na educação médica.

Palavras-chave:
Ética Profissional; Profissionalismo; Estudos de Validação; Análise Fatorial Exploratória; Educação Médica

INTRODUCTION

The concept of medical professionalism remains in constant development, without a universally accepted definition11. Birden H, Glass N, Wilson I, Harrison M, Usherwood T, Nass D. Defining professionalism in medical education: A systematic review. Med Teach. 2014 Jan;36(1):47-61. doi: 10.3109/0142159X.2014.850154.
https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2014.85...
. Understanding the phenomenon is fundamental for reaching the goals in medical education22. Robiner WN, Hong BA, Ward W. Psychologists’ Contributions to Medical Education and Interprofessional Education in Medical Schools. J Clin Psychol Med Settings. 2021 Dec;28(4):666-678. doi: 10.1007/s10880-020-09730-8. PMID: 32564215.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-020-09730...
. The parameters used for its construction are diverse and comprehensive, considering different societies and cultures. In 2020, a systematic review93) portrayed the definitions already used for medical professionalism, including the domains of clinical competence, understood as the ability for clinical reasoning and communication skills, humanistic qualities, or virtues such as altruism, and reflective capacity to self-evaluate in search of improvement. These domains derived important elements in the structuring of professionalism throughout undergraduate courses, ranging from training in interpersonal relationships, the performance of skills and work management, and reflection on the role of individual and collective medicine33. Ong YT, Kow CS, Teo YH, Tan LHE, Abdurrahman ABHM, Quek NWS et al. Nurturing professionalism in medical schools. A systematic scoping review of training curricula between 1990-2019. Med Teach . 2020 Jun;42(6):636-649. doi: 10.1080/0142159X.2020.1724921. Epub 2020 Feb 17. PMID: 32065016.; 42: 636-49.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2020.17...
.

Medical professionalism has been considered according to three major topics: interpersonal professionalism, public professionalism, and intrapersonal professionalism44. Van De Camp K, Vernooij-Dassen MJFJ, Grol RPTM, Bottema BJAM. How to conceptualize professionalism: a qualitative study. Med Teach . 2004 Dec;26(8):696-702. doi: 10.1080/01421590400019518. PMID: 15763872.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159040001951...
. Professionalism is related to the building of the professional identity from the initial years of undergraduate medical education. Therefore, efforts must be made towards the use of tools, considering students’ training to achieve better ethical standards and medical curriculum improvement.

From this perspective, educators need tobroadentheir understanding of the hidden and formal curricula, addressing institutional barriers, and enhancing their understanding of professionalism33. Ong YT, Kow CS, Teo YH, Tan LHE, Abdurrahman ABHM, Quek NWS et al. Nurturing professionalism in medical schools. A systematic scoping review of training curricula between 1990-2019. Med Teach . 2020 Jun;42(6):636-649. doi: 10.1080/0142159X.2020.1724921. Epub 2020 Feb 17. PMID: 32065016.; 42: 636-49.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2020.17...
. Assessing professionalism represents a challenge for medical educators given the nature of its construct, which comprises diverse values, beliefs, and principles. Therefore, the importance of well-defined instruments to measure this competence.

Developed by a group of researchers from the College of Medicine of the State University of Pennsylvania, the Penn State College of Medicine (PSCOM) Professionalism Questionnaire55. Blackall GF, Melnick SA, Shoop GH, George J, Lerner SM, Wilson PK et al. Professionalism in medical education: The development and validation of a survey instrument to assess attitudes toward professionalism. Med Teach . 2007 Mar;29(2-3):e58-62. doi: 10.1080/01421590601044984. PMID: 17701611.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159060104498...
is a self-applied instrument to measure attitudes about medical professionals, being the first valid and reliable tool that evaluated medical students’ perception of professionalism5,7. Its purpose is to assist in advancing medical education’s efforts to enhance professionalism at all levels, as it aims to diagnose the institutional curriculum55. Blackall GF, Melnick SA, Shoop GH, George J, Lerner SM, Wilson PK et al. Professionalism in medical education: The development and validation of a survey instrument to assess attitudes toward professionalism. Med Teach . 2007 Mar;29(2-3):e58-62. doi: 10.1080/01421590601044984. PMID: 17701611.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159060104498...
.

The questionnaire includes the conception of professionalism defined by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)66. American Board of Internal Medicine [Internet]. Philadelphia: Project Professionalism Promoting Excellence in Health Care. 1995.[cited 2023 Feb 09]. Available from: Available from: https://medicinainternaucv.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/project-professionalism.pdf
https://medicinainternaucv.files.wordpre...
: altruism, accountability, excellence, duty, honor and integrity, and respect for others. The PSCOM Professionalism Questionnaire55. Blackall GF, Melnick SA, Shoop GH, George J, Lerner SM, Wilson PK et al. Professionalism in medical education: The development and validation of a survey instrument to assess attitudes toward professionalism. Med Teach . 2007 Mar;29(2-3):e58-62. doi: 10.1080/01421590601044984. PMID: 17701611.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159060104498...
obtained an internal consistency value that ranged from 0.71 to 0.78, except for the Respect domain (0.51).

The PSCOM Professionalism Questionnaire was validated for Colombia77. Bustamante E, Sanabria Á. Adaptación al idioma español de la escala del Penn State College of Medicine para medición del profesionalismo en estudiantes de medicina. Biomédica. 2014 Jun; 34: 291-9., Pakistan88. Manzoor A, Baig LA, Aly SM. Attitudes of faculty and residents of surgical specialties towards professionalism at a tertiary care hospital of Islamabad. Pakistan J Med Sci. 2019 Mar-Apr;35(2):371-376. doi: 10.12669/pjms.35.2.387. PMID: 31086517; PMCID: PMC6500805.
https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.2.387...
and Turkey99. Tanrıverdi EÇ, Nas MA, Kaşali K, Layık ME, El-Aty AMA. Validity and reliability of the Professionalism Assessment Scale in Turkish medical students. PLoS One. 2023 Jan 26;18(1):e0281000.. To the best of our knowledge, the PSCOM Professionalism Questionnaire has not yet been validated in Brazil. The validation of the questionnaire would provide a tool to assess attitude changes during undergraduate medical education55. Blackall GF, Melnick SA, Shoop GH, George J, Lerner SM, Wilson PK et al. Professionalism in medical education: The development and validation of a survey instrument to assess attitudes toward professionalism. Med Teach . 2007 Mar;29(2-3):e58-62. doi: 10.1080/01421590601044984. PMID: 17701611.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159060104498...
. Translating, adapting, and validating existing scales allow the comparison of professionalism with other countries1010. Coluci MZO, Alexandre NMC, Milani D. Construção de instrumentos de medida na área da saúde.Cien Saude Colet 2015; 20: 925-36.. This study aimed to translate into Brazilian Portuguese and to validate the PSCOM Professionalism Questionnaire.

METHODS

A validation study was conducted using the PSCOM Professionalism Questionnaire in medical students. This study was conducted at a private school of medicine in Salvador, state of Bahia, Brazil. Students regularly enrolled in the Ethics and Bioethics disciplines were invited to participate in the study, given the importance of the professionalism topic in this curricular component. Of the 300 enrolled students, 249 accepted to participate in this study and signed the informed consent form.

Instrument

The PSCOM Professionalism Questionnaire was originally developed and validated by Blackall et al.55. Blackall GF, Melnick SA, Shoop GH, George J, Lerner SM, Wilson PK et al. Professionalism in medical education: The development and validation of a survey instrument to assess attitudes toward professionalism. Med Teach . 2007 Mar;29(2-3):e58-62. doi: 10.1080/01421590601044984. PMID: 17701611.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159060104498...
It is a scale consisting of 36 items, distributed in seven domains: Accountability (7 items), Enrichment (6 items), Equity (4 items), Honor and integrity (8 items), Altruism (3 items), Duty (6 items), and Respect (2 items). The answers to each item are offered using a five-point Likert scale (1=never, 2=little, 3=some, 4=much, and 5=great deal).

Translation of the scale

The PSCOM Professionalism Questionnaire was translated from the original English version into Brazilian Portuguese by two independent researchers, fluent in English. Then, a third researcher, also fluent in English, synthesized the two versions. The three translators created a single consensual version. The back-translation into English was carried out by a native English speaker. The original and back-translated versions were compared by a second native English speaker, who evaluated the preservation of the content. For content validation, the final version of the translation was evaluated by an expert panel1111. Furr RM. Scale Construction and Psychometrics. 2011. Sage Publications Ltd.. Ten judges, all with experience in the field of medical professionalism, participated in this validation stage. The expert committee individually analyzed the items and the overall aspects of the questionnaire. Based on the judges’ considerations, adjustments were made to the instrument.

Psychometric properties testing in the target population

This stage was conducted at a private medical school in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. First-year students who were enrolled in the course were invited to participate in the study. Of the 300 enrolled students, 249 accepted to participate in the study and signed the Informed Consent Form.

Statistical analysis procedures

The evaluation of the psychometric properties of the PSCOM Professionalism Questionnaire was performed by exploratory factor analysis, using the FACTOR v10.10.01 software. The analysis was implemented using a polychoric matrix and the Robust Diagonally Weighted Least Squares (RDWLS) extraction method1212. Asparouhov T, Muthén BO. Simple second order chi-square correction [Internet]. 2010; 1-8. [cited 2023 Feb 09]. Available from: Available from: http://www.statmodel.com/download/WLSMV_new_chi21.pdf
http://www.statmodel.com/download/WLSMV_...
. Initially, Kayser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) tests were used, with values above 0.500 being accepted, and Bartlett’s test of sphericity, with values of p <0.05 being accepted. To define the number of factors to be retained, a Parallel Analysis was performed with random exchange of the observed data1313. Timmerman ME, Lorenzo-Seva U. Dimensionality assessment of ordered polytomous items with parallel analysis. Psychol Methods. 2011 Jun;16(2):209-20. doi: 10.1037/a0023353. PMID: 21500916.
https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023353...
and Robust Promin rotation1414. Lorenzo-Seva U, Ferrando PJ. Robust Promin: A method for diagonally weighted factor rotation.Liber. 2019; 25: 99-106. doi.org/10.24265/liberabit.2019.v25n1.08.
https://doi.org/doi.org/10.24265/liberab...
. Then, the factorial loads were analyzed, adopting the following criteria as desirable: loads greater than 0.30 and absence of factorial ambiguities (that is, factorial loads close to more than one factor)1111. Furr RM. Scale Construction and Psychometrics. 2011. Sage Publications Ltd.),(1515. Ferrando PJ, Lorenzo-Seva U. Assessing the Quality and Appropriateness of Factor Solutions and Factor Score Estimates in Exploratory Item Factor Analysis. Educ Psychol Meas. 2018 Oct;78(5):762-780. doi: 10.1177/0013164417719308.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164417719308...
.

To analyze the reliability of the scale, the indices of composite reliability were calculated, with values above 0.70 being considered satisfactory1616. Peterson RA, Kim Y. On the relationship between coefficient alpha and composite reliability. J Appl Psychol. 2013 Jan;98(1):194-8. doi: 10.1037/a0030767.
https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030767...
. The adequacy of the model was assessed using the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA), Comparative Fit Index (CFI) and Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) adjustment indexes. RMSEA values must be less than 0.08, and CFI and TLI values must be above 0.90, or preferably, 0.951717. Timothy A Brown. Confirmatory factor analysis for applied research. 2ed ed. New York: 2015. .. This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Bahiana School of Medicine and Public Health, under opinion numbers: 3,562,569 and CAEE: 17608219.3.0000.5544.

RESULTS

Table 1 depicts the original items of the scale and their respective translated versions, after the back-translation and content validation process. The final version was answered by 249 of the 300 students regularly enrolled in the Ethics and Bioethics disciplines.

Table 1
The PSCOM Professionalism Questionnaire items and their respective versions translated into Portuguese.

The exploratory factor analysis obtained a KMO = 0.920 and Bartlett’s test of sphericity was significant (2719.0, gl = 630; P <0.001). As shown in Table 2, the parallel analysis recommended a three-factor solution.

Table 2
Parallel Analysis of the PSCOM Professionalism Questionnaire in 249 medical students. Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.

The matrix of factorial loads is shown in Table 3. The first factor grouped 14 items and was related to the Professional-Patient Relationship. The second factor grouped five items, being defined as Professional Development. The third factor grouped 10 items, concerning Ethical Commitment. In total, seven items were excluded. Five did not show factorial loads greater than 0.30, and two showed factorial ambiguity.

Table 3. Exploratory
factor analysis of the PSCOM Professionalism Questionnaire in 249 medical students. Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.

Finally, the Composite Reliability indices for each factor were calculated. Professional-Patient Relationship (14 items) obtained 0.892, Professional Development (5 items) attained 0.684, and Ethical Commitment (10 items) was 0.832. The factorial structure showed adequate adjustment indexes (χ2 = 326.813, gl = 525; p < 0,05; RMSEA = 0,030; CFI = 0,992; TLI = 0,990).

DISCUSSION

In undergraduate medical courses, the formal curricula should include teaching tools that will encourage ethical and professional behaviors by the graduates. Given its multidimensional aspect, the construction of medical professionalism is complex and difficult to understand11. Birden H, Glass N, Wilson I, Harrison M, Usherwood T, Nass D. Defining professionalism in medical education: A systematic review. Med Teach. 2014 Jan;36(1):47-61. doi: 10.3109/0142159X.2014.850154.
https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2014.85...
. Professionalism is a competence that should be acquired during the medical undergraduate period. Therefore, teaching professionalism and applying a tool for evaluating the degree to which medical students should meet the established understanding criteria for professionalism is essential.

Several scales have already been developed for medical professionalism evaluation1818. Klemenc-Ketis Z, Vrecko H. Development and validation of a professionalism assessment scale for medical students. Int J Med Educ. 2014 Nov 9;5:205-11. doi: 10.5116/ijme.544b.7972.
https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.544b.7972...
),(1919. Li H, Ding N, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Wen D. Assessing medical professionalism: A systematic review of instruments and their measurement properties. PLoS One . 2017 May 12;12(5):e0177321. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177321.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.017...
. A literature review described the PSCOM Professionalism Questionnaire with good internal consistency and content validity; however, its structural validity was undetermined1919. Li H, Ding N, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Wen D. Assessing medical professionalism: A systematic review of instruments and their measurement properties. PLoS One . 2017 May 12;12(5):e0177321. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177321.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.017...
. In our study, Parallel Analysis pointed to a three-factor solution1313. Timmerman ME, Lorenzo-Seva U. Dimensionality assessment of ordered polytomous items with parallel analysis. Psychol Methods. 2011 Jun;16(2):209-20. doi: 10.1037/a0023353. PMID: 21500916.
https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023353...
, differing from developers, who suggested seven factors55. Blackall GF, Melnick SA, Shoop GH, George J, Lerner SM, Wilson PK et al. Professionalism in medical education: The development and validation of a survey instrument to assess attitudes toward professionalism. Med Teach . 2007 Mar;29(2-3):e58-62. doi: 10.1080/01421590601044984. PMID: 17701611.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159060104498...
.

The solution with three factors (domains) was the best attained one, with good psychometric properties1111. Furr RM. Scale Construction and Psychometrics. 2011. Sage Publications Ltd.),(2020. Borsa JC, Damásio BF, Bandeira DR. Adaptação e validação de instrumentos psicológicos entre culturas: algumas considerações. Paidéia. 2012 Sep 22(53). doi.org/10.1590/S0103-863X2012000300014
https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1590/S0103-86...
. The number of domains present in a scale does not seem to change its scope1818. Klemenc-Ketis Z, Vrecko H. Development and validation of a professionalism assessment scale for medical students. Int J Med Educ. 2014 Nov 9;5:205-11. doi: 10.5116/ijme.544b.7972.
https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.544b.7972...
. Analogous to that proposed by Van De Camp et al.44. Van De Camp K, Vernooij-Dassen MJFJ, Grol RPTM, Bottema BJAM. How to conceptualize professionalism: a qualitative study. Med Teach . 2004 Dec;26(8):696-702. doi: 10.1080/01421590400019518. PMID: 15763872.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159040001951...
, the Professional-Patient Relationship domain can be understood as interpersonal professionalism, that is, when the doctor interacts with the patient or with another health professional. For example, avoiding offensive speech that contains rude comments and unfair criticism of others and maintaining doctor-patient relationships that do not exploit personal financial gains, privacy, or sexual advantages. The Professional Development domain would be contained in intrapersonal professionalism, which according to the referred author is the way through which the doctor meets the demands of the profession as an individual and therefore involves personal characteristics44. Van De Camp K, Vernooij-Dassen MJFJ, Grol RPTM, Bottema BJAM. How to conceptualize professionalism: a qualitative study. Med Teach . 2004 Dec;26(8):696-702. doi: 10.1080/01421590400019518. PMID: 15763872.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159040001951...
.

In Ethical Commitment there is public professionalism, in which the doctor needs to be able to assume standards prescribed in their code of ethics, being, therefore, the requirement that society expects44. Van De Camp K, Vernooij-Dassen MJFJ, Grol RPTM, Bottema BJAM. How to conceptualize professionalism: a qualitative study. Med Teach . 2004 Dec;26(8):696-702. doi: 10.1080/01421590400019518. PMID: 15763872.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159040001951...
. Likewise, it can be observed in the study by Klemenc-Ketis and Vrecko1818. Klemenc-Ketis Z, Vrecko H. Development and validation of a professionalism assessment scale for medical students. Int J Med Educ. 2014 Nov 9;5:205-11. doi: 10.5116/ijme.544b.7972.
https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.544b.7972...
, in which only three conceptually close factors (domains) were found: empathy / humanism, professional relationship / development and responsibility.

The present study applied rigorous methodological approaches for the translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and validation of the original English version of the PSCOM Professionalism Questionnaire. The psychometric behavior of the translated version of the questionnaire was tested by exploratory factor analyses, using polychoric matrix and the Robust Diagonally Weighted Least Squares (RDWLS)1212. Asparouhov T, Muthén BO. Simple second order chi-square correction [Internet]. 2010; 1-8. [cited 2023 Feb 09]. Available from: Available from: http://www.statmodel.com/download/WLSMV_new_chi21.pdf
http://www.statmodel.com/download/WLSMV_...
. The factorial structure of the present study showed adequate adjustment in all indexes.

Concerning the internal consistency of the instrument, the reliability of two factors (Professional-Patient Relationship and Ethical Commitment) was > 0.70, and for the factor entitled Professional Development, the reliability was satisfactory (0.684). As for the development of the PSICOM, the internal consistency reliability for each factor ranged from 0.51 to 0.7855. Blackall GF, Melnick SA, Shoop GH, George J, Lerner SM, Wilson PK et al. Professionalism in medical education: The development and validation of a survey instrument to assess attitudes toward professionalism. Med Teach . 2007 Mar;29(2-3):e58-62. doi: 10.1080/01421590601044984. PMID: 17701611.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159060104498...
.

It is noteworthy that the elements described by ABIM2121. Khan HF, Yasmeen R. Exploration of constructs of professionalism identified in the ABIM framework as perceived by the faculty fitting the Pakistani context. Pak J Med Sci. 2020 Mar-Apr;36(3):473-478. doi: 10.12669/pjms.36.3.1573
https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.3.1573...
can be used to build consensus on the domains of professionalism, but cultural differences must be considered. The ABIM structure has been considered reliable in Western and Eastern societies to portray and evaluate attitudes towards professionalism and that is why countless studies have already used the ABIM structure using different instruments88. Manzoor A, Baig LA, Aly SM. Attitudes of faculty and residents of surgical specialties towards professionalism at a tertiary care hospital of Islamabad. Pakistan J Med Sci. 2019 Mar-Apr;35(2):371-376. doi: 10.12669/pjms.35.2.387. PMID: 31086517; PMCID: PMC6500805.
https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.2.387...
.

The PSCOM Professionalism Questionnaire was also validated for Spanish and after the factor analysis, four new domains were found, namely patient care, ethical attitude, partnership and relationship with health systems77. Bustamante E, Sanabria Á. Adaptación al idioma español de la escala del Penn State College of Medicine para medición del profesionalismo en estudiantes de medicina. Biomédica. 2014 Jun; 34: 291-9.. In a recent study to assess the reliability of the PSCOM Professionalism Questionnaire for Pakistan, it showed that despite the seven-factor solution found, it occurred with a factorial structure that was different from the one observed in the original instrument, as in the respect domain, which now has five items instead of two88. Manzoor A, Baig LA, Aly SM. Attitudes of faculty and residents of surgical specialties towards professionalism at a tertiary care hospital of Islamabad. Pakistan J Med Sci. 2019 Mar-Apr;35(2):371-376. doi: 10.12669/pjms.35.2.387. PMID: 31086517; PMCID: PMC6500805.
https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.2.387...
. The validation study of the Turkish version of PSCOM revealed consistency with the factors of the original scale, with the exception of only one item in the commitment domain99. Tanrıverdi EÇ, Nas MA, Kaşali K, Layık ME, El-Aty AMA. Validity and reliability of the Professionalism Assessment Scale in Turkish medical students. PLoS One. 2023 Jan 26;18(1):e0281000..

The PSCOM Professionalism Questionnaire may help psychologists and medical educators in medical curriculum implementation and intervention for medical professionalism teaching in Brazil. The difficulty in defining professionalism can be partly understood, since the topic is not clinical, and it may be hidden in the medical school curriculum1818. Klemenc-Ketis Z, Vrecko H. Development and validation of a professionalism assessment scale for medical students. Int J Med Educ. 2014 Nov 9;5:205-11. doi: 10.5116/ijme.544b.7972.
https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.544b.7972...
. Validating and adapting tools for subjective measurements such as professionalism in different cultures allows comparisons of undergraduate medical students’ perceptions between countries.

This study showed some limitations, as all participants were from the second period of medical undergraduate school, and it was conducted at a single Brazilian medical school. However, there is a limited number of studies concerning the performance of professionalism questionnaires. Despite these limitations, the PSCOM Professionalism Questionnaire is one tool that contributes to the efforts to enhance professionalism at all levels in medical education.

CONCLUSION

In this study, the three-factor solution was the best one found to represent the data. The questionnaire evidenced good psychometric properties and appropriateness to evaluate medical students’ professionalism. It is necessary to use appropriate and validated scales to evaluate students in relation to professionalism and from that point it is possible to propose the restructuring of the curriculum, or even greater integration of this framework, to reach more desirable ethical standards in medical education. An important next step would be to administer the instrument to all periods of medical undergraduate course and residency.

REFERENCES

  • 1
    Birden H, Glass N, Wilson I, Harrison M, Usherwood T, Nass D. Defining professionalism in medical education: A systematic review. Med Teach. 2014 Jan;36(1):47-61. doi: 10.3109/0142159X.2014.850154.
    » https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2014.850154
  • 2
    Robiner WN, Hong BA, Ward W. Psychologists’ Contributions to Medical Education and Interprofessional Education in Medical Schools. J Clin Psychol Med Settings. 2021 Dec;28(4):666-678. doi: 10.1007/s10880-020-09730-8. PMID: 32564215.
    » https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-020-09730-8
  • 3
    Ong YT, Kow CS, Teo YH, Tan LHE, Abdurrahman ABHM, Quek NWS et al. Nurturing professionalism in medical schools. A systematic scoping review of training curricula between 1990-2019. Med Teach . 2020 Jun;42(6):636-649. doi: 10.1080/0142159X.2020.1724921. Epub 2020 Feb 17. PMID: 32065016.; 42: 636-49.
    » https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2020.1724921
  • 4
    Van De Camp K, Vernooij-Dassen MJFJ, Grol RPTM, Bottema BJAM. How to conceptualize professionalism: a qualitative study. Med Teach . 2004 Dec;26(8):696-702. doi: 10.1080/01421590400019518. PMID: 15763872.
    » https://doi.org/10.1080/01421590400019518
  • 5
    Blackall GF, Melnick SA, Shoop GH, George J, Lerner SM, Wilson PK et al. Professionalism in medical education: The development and validation of a survey instrument to assess attitudes toward professionalism. Med Teach . 2007 Mar;29(2-3):e58-62. doi: 10.1080/01421590601044984. PMID: 17701611.
    » https://doi.org/10.1080/01421590601044984
  • 6
    American Board of Internal Medicine [Internet]. Philadelphia: Project Professionalism Promoting Excellence in Health Care. 1995.[cited 2023 Feb 09]. Available from: Available from: https://medicinainternaucv.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/project-professionalism.pdf
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  • 2
    Evaluated by double blind review process.
  • SOURCES OF FUNDING

    The authors declare no sources of funding.

Edited by

Chief Editor: Rosiane Viana Zuza Diniz. Associate Editor: Fernando Almeida.

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    13 Nov 2023
  • Date of issue
    2023

History

  • Received
    09 Jan 2023
  • Accepted
    26 Sept 2023
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