Development and validation of a measurement tool to assess student perceptions of using real patients in physical therapy education at the Rocky Mountain University, the United States: a methodological study.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop and validate the Student Perceptions of Real Patient Use in Physical Therapy Education (SPRP-PTE) survey to assess physical therapy student (SPT) perceptions regarding real patient use in didactic education.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study developed a 48-item survey and tested the survey on 130 SPTs. Face and content validity were determined by an expert review and Content Validity Index (CVI). Construct validity and internal consistency reliability were determined via exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Cronbach's Alpha.

Results: Three main constructs were identified (Value, Satisfaction, and Confidence), each having 4 subconstruct components (Overall, Cognitive, Psychomotor, and Affective Learning). Expert review demonstrated adequate face and content validity (CVI = 96%). The initial EFA of the 48-item survey revealed items with inconsistent loadings and low correlations, leading to the removal of 18 items. An EFA of the 30-item survey demonstrated 1-factor loadings of all survey constructs except Satisfaction and the entire survey. All constructs had adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha > 0.85).

Conclusion: The SPRP-PTE survey provides a reliable and valid way to assess student perceptions of real patient use. Future studies are encouraged to validate the SPRP-PTE survey further.