Cross-Cultural Validation of the Global Interprofessional Therapeutic Communication Scale© in the Korean context
Abstract Background: Person-centered nursing is pivotal to the high-quality and safe practice of nursing, and therapeutic communication plays an essential role in this process. Therapeutic communication by healthcare professionals is vital in developing and maintaining constructive relationships with patients. The Global Interprofessional Therapeutic Communication Scale© (GITCS©) measures the therapeutic communication skills of healthcare providers. This scale is useful for assessing the verbal, non-verbal, and culturally sensitive therapeutic communication abilities of healthcare providers in various clinical situations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cross-cultural validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Global Interprofessional Therapeutic Communication Scale© (K-GITCS). Methods: A cross-cultural validation of a psychometric evaluation is conducted in the present study. The instrument was translated into Korean using the original developers’ translation process.A convenience sample of 300 registered nurses with more than one year of experience was recruited from a tertiary hospital. Validity was evaluated through a confirmatory factor analysis, and the instrument was tested for psychometric reliability.Results: The three-factor structure of the K-GITCS was validated. A confirmatory factor analysis of the K-GITCS was conducted, and the results satisfied the statistical criteria with a standardized root mean square residual of 0.06, a non-normed fit index of 0.88, a root mean square error of approximation of 0.07, and a comparative fit index of 0.82. The following factors were correlated: trust and rapport building, power-sharing, and empathy. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.94, indicating good internal consistency.Conclusions: Initial testing with experienced registered nurses in one institution indicated that the K-GITCS© instrument has adequate construct validity and reliability to identify therapeutic communication skills in this population. The K-GITCS can be used to assess registered nurses’ therapeutic communication. Further research using the GITCS is required to promote the communication skills of healthcare providers. Studies testing with nursing students and nurses in other institutions and interprofessional healthcare providers are also necessary. This instrument can offer valuable insights to guide its development and to devise tailored interventions considering the specific demands of registered nurses. It can be used in nursing education and clinical settings for evaluations of therapeutic communication skills.