Development and Validation of a Comprehensive Questionnaire to Assess Interpersonal Discord (Bullying, Harassment, and Discrimination) at the Workplace in a Healthcare Setting

Abstract

This study was conducted to develop and validate a comprehensive questionnaire to assess bullying, discrimination, and harassment in healthcare settings. MethodologyA mixed-method study design was used to develop and validate the questionnaire. In phase I, qualitative approaches were used for the development, which included literature search, focus group discussions (FGDs), following which the construct was developed. In phase II, face validity and construct validity were established using quantitative approaches. ResultsThe final questionnaire consists of 25 items divided into five sections addressing the burden, impact, reasons for underreporting, risk factors, and mitigation strategies. The questionnaire has very good consistency with a Cronbach's alpha score of 0.86. ConclusionThis is a comprehensive tool with appropriate psychometric properties with potential use for evaluating the problem of interpersonal discord in the form of bullying, harassment, and discrimination in a healthcare setting.

Development and Validation of a Questionnaire to Evaluate Workplace Violence in Healthcare Settings

“…The global prevalence of WPV in healthcare is estimated to be up to 80 percent [2]. The actual figure maybe even worse, as many incidents are ignored and unreported [3,4]. The need of the hour is to evolve mitigation strategies to reduce workplace violence and ensure safe working conditions for healthcare personnel, as a well-functioning healthcare sector is essential to enhance the quality of life of citizens anywhere in the world.…”