Evaluating people’s ability to assess treatment claims: validation of a test in Mandarin developed from the Claim Evaluation Tools database

ID: 

232

Session: 

Poster session 2

Date: 

Monday 17 September 2018 - 12:30 to 14:00

All authors in correct order:

Wang Q1, Austvoll-Dahlgren A2, Zhou Q3, Yang N3, Zhang JY3, Chen YL3, Yang KH3
1 Health Policy PhD Program, Department of Health Evidence and Impact, Faculty of Health Sciences, and McMaster Health Forum, McMaster University, Canada
2 Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway, Norway
3 Evidence-Based Medicine Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, China
Presenting author and contact person

Presenting author:

Qi Wang

Contact person:

Qi Wang
Abstract text
Background:
Improving people's critical skills and, more specifically, their ability to assess treatment claims, is essential for informed decision-making. Currently, there is no procedure or instrument available for assessing such abilities in China. The Informed Health Choice (IHC) Claim Evaluation Tools database was developed using qualitative and quantitative methods in six countries, and it contains multiple-choice questions (MCQs) for measuring people’s ability to assess treatment claims.

Objectives:
To describe the psychometric testing using Rasch analysis of a test in Mandarin developed from the Claim Evaluation Tools database.

Methods:
We translated selected MCQs from the IHC Claim Evaluation Tools database to Mandarin and created a test including 24 MCQs covering 11 key concepts. We used purposeful sampling and surveyed children and adults in the Lanzhou area. In total 389 responses were entered into the analysis. We evaluated the psychometric properties of the test using Rasch analysis and the RUMM2030 software, testing for internal construct validity (multidimensionality), invariance of the items (Item-Person Interaction) and item bias (differential item functioning).

Results:
Overall, we found the psychometric properties of the test to be satisfactory. Based on findings from the Rasch analysis, we deleted three MCQs with sub-optimal fit.

Conclusions:
The resulting test includes 21 MCQs and it can be used in schools and other teaching settings, in randomised trials evaluating the outcomes of educational interventions or in cross-sectional studies in Mandarin-speaking populations in China.

Patient or healthcare consumer involvement:
The evaluation instrument described in this abstract was developed by children, their parents and teachers in collaboration with methodological experts. To our knowledge, this is the first instrument assessing people's critical assessment skills that can be used for both professionals and consumers (including children).

Relevance to patients and consumers: 

The evaluation instrument described in this abstract was developed by children, their parents and teachers in collaboration with methodological experts. To our knowledge, this is the first instrument assessing people’s critical skills that can be used for both professionals and consumers (including children). The multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are designed for measuring people’s ability to assess treatment claims, to improve their critical skills, and promote the informed decision making. The questions have been, are being and will be translated and validated among different languages.