Development and validation of the scale on staff valence under ICF-based practice (SSV-ICF)

Abstract

Purpose The application of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) model in the field of disability has become a global trend since 2001. However, very little attention has been paid to the impact of ICF-based practices on the staff members involved in implementing them. This study develops and validates a scale with which to measure staff members’ readiness to carry out ICF-based practices, as well as their competency and perceived valences in doing so.

Methods Staff members holding diverse positions in a non-governmental organisation providing disability services were recruited. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to confirm the factorial structure.

Results Data for a total of 338 participants were used in the analysis. A CFA of the data collected from the second sub-sample (n = 169) demonstrated that the goodness-of-fit indices of the five-factor model were acceptable. Those five factors are: perceived knowledge, perceived competence, intrapersonal valence, relational valence and perceived meaning. The whole scale achieved excellent reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.981).

Conclusions The Scale on Staff Valence under ICF-based practice (SSV-ICF) is a valid and reliable scale to measure disability personnel’s perceived valences under a new ICF-based practice.

Implications for Rehabilitation The Scale on Staff Valence under ICF-based Practice (SSV-ICF) is a new scale for measuring the impact of ICF-based practices on staff and to developing evidence-based ICF-related staff training programmes.

The 27-item five-factor structured SSV-ICF demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties and almost perfect internal consistency.

The SSV-ICF offers a promising tool for identifying the merits of ICF-based practices and for developing evidence-based staff interventions among different disciplines.