Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33172852›Full record

ArticleBJGP open2021

Exploring the psychometric properties of the Working Alliance Inventory in general practice: a cross-sectional study.

Liesbeth Hunik, Shelley Galvin, Tim Olde Hartman, Elizabeth Rieger, Peter Lucassen, Kirsty Douglas, Pauline Boeckxstaens, Elizabeth Sturgiss

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BJGP open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.

Liesbeth HunikDepartment of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Shelley GalvinUNC Health Sciences at MAHEC, Mountain Area Health Education Center, Asheville, USA.
Tim Olde HartmanDepartment of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Elizabeth RiegerResearch School of Psychology, Australian National University Research School of Psychology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australia.
Peter LucassenDepartment of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Kirsty DouglasAustralia Academic Unit of General Practice, Australian National University Medical School, The Australian National University, Garran, Australia.
Pauline BoeckxstaensDepartment of Family Medicine and Primary Healthcare, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium.
Elizabeth SturgissDepartment of General Practice, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia liz.sturgiss@monash.edu.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4428-4060
Radboud University Nijmegen · NLAustralian National University · AUAustralian Regenerative Medicine Institute · AUGhent University Hospital · BEMountain Area Health Education Center · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe therapeutic alliance is a framework from psychology that describes three components: goals, tasks, and bond. The Working Alliance Inventory adapted for general practice (WAI-GP) measures the strength of the therapeutic alliance between the patient and the clinician, and it could be useful in both research and clinical settings.

aimTo determine if the patient score on WAI-GP can delineate the three components (goals, tasks, and bond), and to test concurrent validity with the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure and the Patient Perception of Patient-Centredness (PPPC) measure. DESIGN &

settingA cross-sectional study took place in 12 general practice waiting rooms in Australia.

methodThe research instruments included the 12-item WAI-GP (the patient version), the CARE and PPPC measures, plus a survey of demographics and reason for consultation. To perform a principal components factor analysis of the WAI-GP, this dataset was combined with an existing dataset. The Spearman rank correlation was used to determine concurrent validity between the WAI-GP and the CARE and PPPC measures.

resultsParticipants (97-99%) reported a strong positive alliance after the consultation (average WAI-GP mean 4.27 ± 0.67 out of 5,

conclusionThree components could not be identified, but the WAI-GP has a high internal consistency and concurrent validity with moderate correlations with the CARE and PPPC. A more diverse sample may better distinguish the three components leading to more specific feedback to clinicians on their consultation practices.

Indexed as

physician—patient relationsprimary health carequality of health care

Identifiers

PMID33172852
PMCPMC7960525
OpenAlexW3100623394

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.