Valid, Reliable, and User-Friendly

The Compassion Research Lab has more exciting findings to share! The Sinclair Compassion Questionnaire (SCQ) has been streamlined. Namely, we are happy to announce that the SCQ-Short Form, composed of 5 questions derived from the original 15-question SCQ, is valid and reliable for research and practice.

Our recent publication in BMJ Open Quality¹, confirms that a succinct, powerful, and precise measure of patient-reported compassion—the Sinclair Compassion Questionnaire—Short Form (SCQ-SF)—is valid and reliable and is roadworthy

Building upon preliminary validation works completed by the Compassion Research Lab in Canadian acute care, hospice, and continuing care samples ², and recent outpatient/inpatient internal medicine primary care clinics in the United States³, where initial validation extracted SCQ-SF items from the full 15-item SCQ. We decided to take the SCQ-SF for a longer spin and to put it through the paces!

The Results

The audience - almost 2700 Canadian continuing care residents- helped us to take the validation a step further by fully evaluating the SCQ-SF as a stand-alone measure to be applied where practical and logistical barriers might limit survey length (i.e., this short form of the SCQ reduces patient burden and can be completed in a couple of short minutes). Derived from the “gold standard” 15-item Sinclair Compassion Questionnaire, the 5-item SCQ-SF uses the most robust quantitative indicators of patient-reported compassion. In a sense, the SCQ-SF was intended to be the Ferrari of the SCQ measure family — fast, accurate, and user-friendly.

Using advanced quantitative techniques, referred to as Confirmatory Factor Analysis, we tested and confirmed that the SCQ-SF retains the measurement quality and validity of the full SCQ. Essentially, we tested whether a streamlined, nimble, and powerful version of the reliable, robust, tried and trusted larger SCQ could equally assess patients/residents’ experiences of compassion.

The final results are in, and we are pleased to announce that the SCQ-SF performed at and beyond our expectations, with all major indicators pointing us toward the same destination as its slightly more robust larger sibling: a reliable and valid way to measure patient-reported compassion in continuing care settings. No U-turns or pit stops needed.

The Open-Access Article, SCQs, and Other Resources from the Compassion Research Lab

Check out our open-access article here, BMJ Open Quality!

The SCQ-SF (and other adaptations) is available with a free licence. A detailed instruction manual and scoring instructions are also available for researchers and clinicians at www.compassionmeasure.com. The SCQ-SF can also be obtained by contacting online (info@compassionresearchlab.com or ipm@innovatecalgary.com).

If you are interested in learning more about the Compassion Research Lab's Compassion Training Program, visit us at www.compassiontraining.com

‍