Development and Validation of the Patient-Centered Communication Competency Scale for Dental Hygienists

TL;DR

This study created and tested a new scale to measure communication skills in dental hygienists, showing it is reliable and useful for training and research.

Contribution

The novel Patient-Centered Communication Competency Scale (PCCS) was developed and validated for dental hygienists.

Findings

The PCCS was refined to an 11-item scale with three subscales: Assertiveness, Empathy, and Respect.

The scale showed strong validity (good model fit) and reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.862).

The PCCS correlated positively with self-efficacy and job satisfaction, supporting its criterion validity.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Communication skills are a core professional competency for dental hygienists. Accordingly, it is vital to develop a systematic scale that can objectively predict the relationship among communication skills and job satisfaction and various psychosocial factors. This study aimed to develop and validate the Patient-Centered Communication Competency Scale (PCCS) in dental hygienists for dental health service. Methods: Initial items were generated through a literature review, expert content validity assessment, and a preliminary survey. An online survey was conducted with 400 dental hygienists working in dental clinics and hospitals. Construct validity was examined using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), while reliability was assessed with Cronbach’s alpha. Results: The preliminary 38-item scale was refined through five rounds of EFA, resulting in an 11-item scale with three subscales: Assertiveness, Empathy, and Respect. CFA results indicated good model fit (χ2/df = 1.749, RMR = 0.027, RMSEA = 0.061, GFI = 0.941, NFI = 0.911, IFI = 0.960, CFI = 0.959, TLI = 0.949), demonstrating strong convergent and discriminant validity. The PCCS also demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.862) and criterion validity, confirmed by its positive correlation with self-efficacy and job satisfaction. Conclusions: The proposed PCCS is a valid and reliable tool for assessing and improving dental hygienists’ communication skills, with potential applications in training programs and communication competency research in dental settings.

Figures