Abstract
Background:
The therapeutic alliance is a framework from psychology that describes three components: goals, tasks, and bond. The Working Alliance Inventory adapted for general practice (WAI-GP) measures the strength of the therapeutic alliance between the patient and the clinician, and it could be useful in both research and clinical settings.
Aim:
To determine if the patient score on WAI-GP can delineate the three components (goals, tasks, and bond), and to test concurrent validity with the Consultation and Relational Empathy (Care) measure and the Patient Perception of Patient-Centredness (PPPC) measure.
Design & setting:
A cross-sectional study took place in 12 general practice waiting rooms in Australia.
Method:
The research instruments included the 12-item WAI-GP (the patient version), the Care and PPPC measures, plus a survey of demographics and reason for consultation. To perform a principal components factor analysis of the WAI-GP, this dataset was combined with an existing dataset. The Spearman rank correlation was used to determine concurrent validity between the WAI-GP and the Care and PPPC measures.
Results:
Participants (97–99%) reported a strong positive alliance after the consultation (average WAI-GP mean 4.27 ± 0.67 out of 5, n = 146). Factor analysis could not separate the three components (one factor, eigenvalue >1; Cronbach’s α = 0.957; n = 281). Concurrent validity was supported by moderate correlations with the other measures (PPPC ρ = –0.51, P<0.005, Care ρ = 0.56, P<0.005).
Conclusion:
Three components could not be identified, but the WAI-GP has a high internal consistency and concurrent validity with moderate correlations with the Care and PPPC. A more diverse sample may better distinguish the three components leading to more specific feedback to clinicians on their consultation practices.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1-9 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | BJGP Open |
Volume | 5 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2021 |
Externally published | Yes |