Abstract
In this study, a Patients’ Information Privacy Scale (PIPS) and a Convenient Privacy Checklist (CPC) were developed, and the validity and reliability of the instruments were examined. This study was conducted in 3 stages: 1) Developing the Patients Information Privacy Scale, 2) Developing Convenient Privacy Checklist, and 3) Conducting a main test to examine those scales. A total of 595 patients were selected from 37 facilities in three prefectures, as samples for the main study. Valid response rates were 40.2%. The PIPS was analyzed using factor analysis. As a result, four factors, “Treatment-Related Information,” “Identification-Related Information,” “Daily Life-Behavior Related Information” and “Personal Life-Related Information” were extracted (Chronbach’s α=0.978). Through the examination of the criterion-related validity, construct validity, and stability, the PIPS was confirmed as a valid and reliable instrument. The CPC was analyzed by examination of representative nature of the items, the correlations between each CPC item and the factor of the PIPS, respectively. The result confirmed the efficiency of the checklist. This study shows that the PIPS and the CPC can be meaningful instruments in the evaluation of how to balance the right of information privacy against the practical needs for information sharing.
