Malpractice Tendency Scale for Physiotherapists, Scale Development Study

Abstract

Objective: The Malpractice Tendency Scale for Physiotherapists (MTSP) was developed to assess physiotherapists’ malpractice tendencies, addressing a gap in patient safety and professional standards. This pioneering tool provides a valid and reliable way to measure malpractice risks specific to physiotherapy. The MTSP aims to improve professional conduct and patient outcomes by enabling physiotherapists to systematically evaluate and enhance their practice. This study aimed to develop a valid and reliable scale to measure the malpractice tendencies of physiotherapists, ultimately enhancing patient safety and elevating professional standards.

Methods: This methodological scale-development study was conducted among 351 physiotherapists working across diverse healthcare settings in Türkiye between 2023 and 2024. Data were collected online using a snowball sampling approach. The development process proceeded through sequential phases, including an extensive literature review, creation of an item pool, expert evaluation, calculation of the content validity ratio, pilot administration, and large-sample psychometric testing. Construct validity was examined through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with 217 participants and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with 134 participants. Reliability analyses included Cronbach’s alpha, item-total correlations, and subscale consistency assessments.

Results: The MTSP demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.89). The EFA identified a 3-factor structure (institutional, patient-related, and personal) with 15 items. At the sub-factor level, the Cronbach’s α values were 0.68 for factor 1, 0.72 for factor 2, and 0.87 for factor 3. The CFA confirmed the construct validity with excellent fit indices (χ2/df, standardized root mean square residual, comparative fit index, and incremental fit index).

Conclusion: A valid and reliable scale was developed to enable physiotherapists to objectively evaluate malpractice tendencies and gain insight into their causes, thereby improving their professional performance. It is thought that MTSP will increase patient safety in physiotherapy by contributing to educational programs and professional development activities.

Cite this article as: Deniz G, Sönmez M, Akaras E, Eymir M. Malpractice tendency scale for physiotherapists, scale development study. Arch Health Sci Res. 12, 0071, doi:10.5152/ArcHealthSciRes.2025.25071