Development of a Work-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire for Medical Doctors (WQMD-9) in Japan: Questionnaire Design and Quantitative Survey.

Abstract

Background: With the ongoing development of game-changing technologies, assessing healthcare provider burden is desirable. This requires developing and evaluating subjective outcome measures, but there is no single scale that measures this burden. We developed a measure of quality of life (QOL) to address this, focusing on medical doctors (MDs). Methods: Based on Japan's national statistical distribution of MDs in Japan, we qualitatively interviewed twenty MDs to identify factors that influenced their QOL and another eight MDs to verify the appropriateness and interpretability of the questions. Validity and reliability were evaluated and verified in a quantitative survey of 374 MDs to finalize the questionnaire. Results: Based on our initial research and interviews, we derived nine dimensions and developed the work-related QOL questionnaire for MDs (WQMD-9) accordingly. Correlation coefficients between questionnaire items were 0.3-0.7 and Cronbach's α was 0.897, confirming the validity and reliability of the questionnaire. Conclusions: The WQMD-9 is an original profile-type scale with nine dimensions and five levels. We expect that as new technologies develop, evaluations of the associated medical treatment will involve measuring the QOL of not only patients but also MDs, and the WQMD-9 will facilitate this process.