Separate but Related: Dimensions of Healthcare Provider Social Support in Day-Treatment Oncology Units
Social support by healthcare providers has been increasingly investigated during the past decade, but studies have made different choices concerning its measurement. To evaluate how social support from a healthcare provider impacts the perceived quality of care and patient outcomes, reliable and val...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-04-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.773447/full |
| _version_ | 1811330399032311808 |
|---|---|
| author | Manuela Tomai Marco Lauriola |
| author_facet | Manuela Tomai Marco Lauriola |
| author_sort | Manuela Tomai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Social support by healthcare providers has been increasingly investigated during the past decade, but studies have made different choices concerning its measurement. To evaluate how social support from a healthcare provider impacts the perceived quality of care and patient outcomes, reliable and valid instruments capable of measuring specific aspects of the construct are needed. In study 1, we tested the factor structure and the psychometric properties of a new Healthcare Provider Social Support measure (HPSS) for oncology settings. One-hundred-sixty-two patients (89 females; M age = 58.97, SD age = 13.28) from religious and government-operated hospitals completed the HPSS during day treatment. We modeled the HPSS factor structure to represent four related aspects: Emotional, Informational, Appraisal, and Instrumental social support. Study 2 preliminarily assessed the concurrent validity of the HPSS with patient perceptions of the patient-doctor relationship. Sixty-nine patients (40 females; M age = 53.67, SD age = 13.74) completed the HPPS with scales assessing perceived doctor-patient communication and patient trust in the healthcare provider. Study 1, using Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling, showed that a bifactor model had an excellent fit. The analysis supported the use of subscale scores, which were more tenable than a single total score in terms of bifactor model indices. This conclusion was also supported by greater scalability of the subscales in a Mokken Scale Analysis. Oncology patients treated in the religious hospital perceived greater Emotional, Informational, and Instrumental social support from their healthcare provider than those treated in government-operated. Study 2 showed that patient ratings of healthcare provider social support, except Instrumental, were positively correlated with better doctor communication skills and greater trust in the physician. Multiple regression analyses showed that Informational and Emotional support provided a unique contribution to building trust in the physician, controlling for the doctor’s communication skills. The study results showed that the four social support ratings were reliable and valid, sharpening the distinction between functional components in the formal healthcare system. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T16:02:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-77b73a82ca084f61ab7d100c2523f61d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T16:02:00Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-77b73a82ca084f61ab7d100c2523f61d2022-12-22T02:40:31ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-04-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.773447773447Separate but Related: Dimensions of Healthcare Provider Social Support in Day-Treatment Oncology UnitsManuela Tomai0Marco Lauriola1Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalySocial support by healthcare providers has been increasingly investigated during the past decade, but studies have made different choices concerning its measurement. To evaluate how social support from a healthcare provider impacts the perceived quality of care and patient outcomes, reliable and valid instruments capable of measuring specific aspects of the construct are needed. In study 1, we tested the factor structure and the psychometric properties of a new Healthcare Provider Social Support measure (HPSS) for oncology settings. One-hundred-sixty-two patients (89 females; M age = 58.97, SD age = 13.28) from religious and government-operated hospitals completed the HPSS during day treatment. We modeled the HPSS factor structure to represent four related aspects: Emotional, Informational, Appraisal, and Instrumental social support. Study 2 preliminarily assessed the concurrent validity of the HPSS with patient perceptions of the patient-doctor relationship. Sixty-nine patients (40 females; M age = 53.67, SD age = 13.74) completed the HPPS with scales assessing perceived doctor-patient communication and patient trust in the healthcare provider. Study 1, using Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling, showed that a bifactor model had an excellent fit. The analysis supported the use of subscale scores, which were more tenable than a single total score in terms of bifactor model indices. This conclusion was also supported by greater scalability of the subscales in a Mokken Scale Analysis. Oncology patients treated in the religious hospital perceived greater Emotional, Informational, and Instrumental social support from their healthcare provider than those treated in government-operated. Study 2 showed that patient ratings of healthcare provider social support, except Instrumental, were positively correlated with better doctor communication skills and greater trust in the physician. Multiple regression analyses showed that Informational and Emotional support provided a unique contribution to building trust in the physician, controlling for the doctor’s communication skills. The study results showed that the four social support ratings were reliable and valid, sharpening the distinction between functional components in the formal healthcare system.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.773447/fullsocial supporthealthcareday treatmentcancer patientsscale construction and validation |
| spellingShingle | Manuela Tomai Marco Lauriola Separate but Related: Dimensions of Healthcare Provider Social Support in Day-Treatment Oncology Units Frontiers in Psychology social support healthcare day treatment cancer patients scale construction and validation |
| title | Separate but Related: Dimensions of Healthcare Provider Social Support in Day-Treatment Oncology Units |
| title_full | Separate but Related: Dimensions of Healthcare Provider Social Support in Day-Treatment Oncology Units |
| title_fullStr | Separate but Related: Dimensions of Healthcare Provider Social Support in Day-Treatment Oncology Units |
| title_full_unstemmed | Separate but Related: Dimensions of Healthcare Provider Social Support in Day-Treatment Oncology Units |
| title_short | Separate but Related: Dimensions of Healthcare Provider Social Support in Day-Treatment Oncology Units |
| title_sort | separate but related dimensions of healthcare provider social support in day treatment oncology units |
| topic | social support healthcare day treatment cancer patients scale construction and validation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.773447/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT manuelatomai separatebutrelateddimensionsofhealthcareprovidersocialsupportindaytreatmentoncologyunits AT marcolauriola separatebutrelateddimensionsofhealthcareprovidersocialsupportindaytreatmentoncologyunits |