Validation of the Dutch version of the primary care resources and support for self-management tool: A tool to assess the quality of self-management support.

Introduction: Enhancing the self-management activities of patients improves the quality of care and is an integrated element of current healthcare provision. However, self-management support (SMS) is not yet common in healthcare. The Primary Care Resources and Support for Self-Management (PCRS) is a tool for healthcare professionals to assess the quality of SMS. In this study, we assessed the validity and reliability of the Dutch version of the PCRS.
Method: The validation of the PCRS was performed in Dutch healthcare centres. Correlations between the PCRS scores and the Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (ACIC) and Clinician Support for Patient Activation Measure (CS-PAM) scores were calculated to assess the convergent and discriminant validity. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to test the factor structure. Lastly, the internal consistency and face validity were assessed.
Results: The convergent and discriminant validity were good, with respective correlations of 0.730 (p < 0.001) and 0.030 (p > 0.050) between the PCRS and the ACIC SMS subscale and the PCRS and the CS-PAM. Although 49% of the variance of the PCRS was explained by one factor, the CFA could not confirm a fit between a one-factor model and the data. The reliability was excellent (Cronbach's α = 0.921).
Conclusion: The PCRS showed good validity and excellent internal consistency. However, the evidence for its validity was inconclusive. We therefore suggest rephrasing specific items.
Competing Interests: We have the following interests: This study was sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim NL. GA and MV were on the payroll of Boehringer Ingelheim bv NL at the time of the conduct of the study. A free license for the use of the CS-PAM was provided by its developer, Insignia Health, under the condition that the data will be shared with Insignia Health. There are no patents, products in development or marketed products to declare. This does not alter our adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.