Developing a Scale to Measure Doctor-Patient Relationshi Risks: A Patient’s Perspective

Background Doctor-patient relationship risks persist, threatening the safety of healthcare workers and hindering the healthy development of the healthcare industry. Developing a scale to measure doctor-patient relationship risks is a crucial step in advancing the governance of doctor-patient relationship risk. Methods Data were collected by using this study’s 24-item preliminary version of the Doctor-Patient Relationship Risk Measurement Scale. Item Response Theory (IRT) and Pratt’s D Matrix analysis were employed to study the reliability and validity of the scale. Results This research developed and tested a measurement scale for doctor-patient relationship risks; the final version comprises three factors and consists of 18 items. The overall Cronbach’s α coefficient of the scale is 0.851, with individual Cronbach’s α values for the three factors being 0.766, 0.783, and 0.827, respectively. The 18-item scale meets the basic requirements for scale development, with structural validity, discriminant validity, and convergent validity all reaching acceptable thresholds. Conclusion The proposed Doctor-Patient Relationship Risk Scale demonstrates good reliability and validity. Each item is scored using a 5-point Likert scale, and items A9, A10, A11, A17, A18, and A19 are reverse-scored. The total score of the scale is 90 points, and a higher score indicates greater risk in the doctor-patient relationship.