Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Japanese version of the Assessment of Interprofessional Team Collaboration Scale-II (J-AITCS-II)

• Main Authors: Yu Yamamoto, Junji Haruta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) 2019-10-01
• Series: MedEdPublish
• Subjects: Assessment tool; Interprofessional collaboration; Cultural adaptation; Exploratory factor analysis; Japan
• Online Access: https://www.mededpublish.org/Manuscripts/2654

Introduction: Several countries have developed interprofessional competency frameworks for interprofessional collaboration (IPC) that have the potential to improve healthcare processes and outcomes. However, there is no consensus on the assessment of IPC in clinical practice. The Assessment of Interprofessional Team Collaboration Scale-II (AITCS-II) is a validated questionnaire used to measure IPC among team members. Methods: We translated the original AITCS into Japanese according to the Guidelines for the Process of Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Self-Report Measures and verified its reliability and cultural adaptability. Healthcare staff at a hospital and welfare facilities with multiple departments were asked to complete the Japanese version of the AITCS. Results: The data of 558 responses were analyzed. Factor analysis of the Japanese version of the AITCS-II identified two factors: "Patient-centered collaborative care" and "Teamwork among healthcare professionals" with a Cronbach's α > 0.7 for all items and subscales. Discussion: The identified factors differed from those in the original questionnaire, which may be warranted considering the differences in the relationship between patients and healthcare professionals in Japan compared to Western countries. The Japanese version of the AITCS-II (J-AITCS-II) is a reliable and valid questionnaire, and further research should confirm its robustness and usefulness for improving IPC.