Article

Instruments to detect changes in attitudes towards people with
disabilities are important for evaluation of training programs and for research.
While we were interested in instruments specific for medical students, we aimed
to systematically review the medical literature for validated survey instruments
used to measure attitudes of healthcare students and professionals towards
patients with physical disability. METHODS: We electronically searched Medline,
EMBASE, PsycINFO, Health and Psychosocial Instruments. We included papers
reporting on the development and/or validation of survey instruments to measure
attitudes of healthcare students and professionals towards patients with physical
disability. We excluded papers in which the attitudes were not measured in a
provider-patient context. Two reviewers carried out titles and abstracts
screening, full texts screening, and data abstraction in a duplicate and
independent manner using standardized and pilot tested forms. RESULTS: We
identified seven validated survey instruments used for healthcare students and
professionals. These instruments were originally developed for the following
target populations: general population (n = 4); dental students (n = 1); nursing
students (n = 1); and rehabilitation professionals (n = 1). The types of validity
reported for these instruments were content validity (n = 3), criterion-related
validity (n = 1), construct validity (n = 2), face validity (n = 1), discriminant
validity (n = 1), and responsiveness (n = 1). The most widely validated and used
tool (ATDP) was developed in the late 1960s while the most recent instrument was
developed in the early 1990s. CONCLUSION: Of the seven identified validated
instruments, less than half were specifically designed for healthcare students
and professionals and none for medical students. There is a need to develop and
validate a contemporary instrument specifically for medical students.

Langue : ANGLAIS