Assessing physicians' orientation toward lifelong learning

• Published in: Journal of general internal medicine : JGIM Vol. 21; no. 9; pp. 931 - 936
• Main Authors: HOJAT, Mohammadreza, VELOSKI, Jon, NASCA, Thomas J, ERDMANN, James B, GONNELLA, Joseph S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer 01.09.2006; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Education, Medical, Continuing - trends; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; General aspects; Health participants; Humans; Internal medicine; Lifelong learning; Male; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Philadelphia; Physicians - psychology; Psychometrics; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Reproducibility of Results; Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Philadelphia; Continuing education; Evaluation; Questionnaire; Attitude; Evaluation scale; Health staff; reliability; Physician; Psychometrics; Test reliability; Orientation; lifelong learning; Learning; Medicine; Test validation; Acquisition process; physicians; validity
• ISSN: 0884-8734; 1525-1497
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02743140

Despite the importance of lifelong learning as an element of professionalism, no psychometrically sound instrument is available for its assessment among physicians. To assess the validity and reliability of an instrument developed to measure physicians' orientation toward lifelong learning. Mail survey. Seven hundred and twenty-one physicians, of whom 444 (62%) responded. The Jefferson Scale of Physician Lifelong Learning (JSPLL), which includes 19 items answered on a 4-point Likert scale, was used with additional questions about respondents' professional activities related to continuous learning. Factor analysis of the JSPLL yielded 4 subscales entitled: "professional learning beliefs and motivation,""scholarly activities,""attention to learning opportunities," and "technical skills in seeking information," which are consistent with widely recognized features of lifelong learning. The validity of the scale and its subscales was supported by significant correlations with a set of criterion measures that presumably require continuous learning. The internal consistency reliability (coefficient alpha) of the JSPLL was 0.89, and the test-retest reliability was 0.91. Empirical evidence supports the validity and reliability of the JSPLL.