A New Scale of Perspectives of Clients about Engagement of Female Staff in Pre-Hospital emergency services: Development and Psychometric Properties

Introduction: Although most countries have long been using female staff for pre-hospital emergency medical services (EMS), this is quite a recent development for the Iranian health system. It is hence necessary to analyze the perspectives of its recipients about the feasibility of assigning female staff to pre-hospital EMS to improve this service and compare it between other countries. The aim of this study was to develop and test the psychometric properties of a scale of perspectives of clients about engagement of female staff in pre-hospital EMS.Methodology: This methodological study used a large sample of ۴۵۶ service recipients of EMS in Tabriz, Iran. Items (N= ۵۰) were generated based on existing literature, followed by testing content and face validity. Finally, the construct validity and reliability of this scale were determined using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and test-retest respectively. Results: From the initial ۵۰ items, ten items, repeated and received a lower score on content validity, were eliminated. The face validity led to changes in the wording of some items. The EFA on the final ۴۰-item scale revealed three factors of the need for engagement (۱۷ items), the groundwork (۱۴ items), and staffing (۹ items). Cronbach's alpha and test-retest correlation showed acceptable reliability. Conclusion: The study's findings suggested that the design and psychometric properties of scale of perspectives of clients about engagement of female staff in pre-hospital emergency services were appropriate for Iranian culture. Therefore, it can be used to examine public opinion before, during, and after the inclusion of female staff in pre-hospital EMS.

Keywords:

Female Staff , Perspective , Service Recipients , Pre-hospital EMS , Psychometric Properties