Patient-physician communication in the context of persistent pain: validation of a modified version of the patients' Perceived Involvement in Care Scale

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a modified version of the Perceived Involvement in Care Scale (M-PICS), a measure designed to assess pain patients' perceptions of patient health care provider communication during the medical consultation. Eighty-seven breast cancer outpatients with persistent pain completed a battery of questionnaires, including the M-PICS. A factor analysis supported four factors. Factor 1 reflected health care provider information behaviors; Factor 2, health care provider facilitation of patient involvement; Factor 3, patient information provision; and Factor 4, patient participation in decision making. The M-PICS total had an internal consistency of 0.87; alphas for subscales ranged from 0.80 to 0.90. M-PICS scores related to measures of patient characteristics and outcomes, including pain-related communication barriers, psychological status, quality of life, and health care satisfaction, in predicted ways. The M-PICS is a reliable and valid measure of perceived patient-provider communication in the context of persistent pain.