Development of the generic, multidimensional Treatment Expectation Questionnaire (TEX-Q) through systematic literature review, expert surveys and qualitative interviews

Objective Patients’ expectations—as a central mechanism of placebo and nocebo effects—are an important predictor of health outcomes. However, the lack of a way to assess expectations across different settings restricts progress in understanding the role of expectations and to quantify their importan...

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Main Authors: Bernd Löwe, Yvonne Nestoriuc, Jannis Alberts, Maja Alicia Glahn, Keith Petrie, Johannes Laferton, Meike Shedden-Mora
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2020-08-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/8/e036169.full
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author Bernd Löwe
Yvonne Nestoriuc
Jannis Alberts
Maja Alicia Glahn
Keith Petrie
Johannes Laferton
Meike Shedden-Mora
author_facet Bernd Löwe
Yvonne Nestoriuc
Jannis Alberts
Maja Alicia Glahn
Keith Petrie
Johannes Laferton
Meike Shedden-Mora
author_sort Bernd Löwe
collection DOAJ
description Objective Patients’ expectations—as a central mechanism of placebo and nocebo effects—are an important predictor of health outcomes. However, the lack of a way to assess expectations across different settings restricts progress in understanding the role of expectations and to quantify their importance in medical and psychological treatments. The aim of this study was to develop a theory-based, generic, multidimensional measure assessing patient expectations of medical and psychological treatments.Design The Treatment Expectation Questionnaire (TEX-Q) was developed based on the integrative model of expectations and a systematic literature review of treatment expectation scales. After creating a comprehensive item pool, the scale was further refined by use of expert ratings and patient interviews.Setting Patients were recruited in primary care at two hospitals in Hamburg, Germany.Participants 13 scientific experts participated in the expert survey. 11 patients waiting for psychological or surgical treatments participated in the qualitative interviews.Results The 2×2×2 multidimensional structure of the TEX-Q assesses two expectation constructs (probabilistic vs value-based) across two outcome domains with two valences (direct benefits and adverse events, broader positive and negative impact), plus process and behavioural control expectations. We examined 583 items from 38 scales identified in the systematic review and developed 78 initial items. Content validity was then rated by experts according to item fit and comprehensibility. The best 53 items were further evaluated for comprehensibility, acceptability, phrasing preference and understanding by interviewing patients prior to treatment using the ‘think aloud’ technique. This resulted in a first 35-item version of the TEX-Q.Conclusions The TEX-Q is a generic, multidimensional measure to assess patient expectations of medical and psychological treatments and allows comparison of the impact of multidimensional expectations across different conditions. The final TEX-Q will be available after psychometric validation.
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spelling doaj-art-07701daaad2142f992d5c41d2bbc5d022025-08-20T02:51:12ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552020-08-0110810.1136/bmjopen-2019-036169Development of the generic, multidimensional Treatment Expectation Questionnaire (TEX-Q) through systematic literature review, expert surveys and qualitative interviewsBernd Löwe0Yvonne Nestoriuc1Jannis Alberts2Maja Alicia Glahn3Keith Petrie4Johannes Laferton5Meike Shedden-Mora6Institute and Outpatients Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyDepartment of Psychology, Helmet Schmidt University, Hamburg, GermanyPsychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyPsychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyDepartment of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New ZealandClinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Psychologische Hochschule Berlin, Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyObjective Patients’ expectations—as a central mechanism of placebo and nocebo effects—are an important predictor of health outcomes. However, the lack of a way to assess expectations across different settings restricts progress in understanding the role of expectations and to quantify their importance in medical and psychological treatments. The aim of this study was to develop a theory-based, generic, multidimensional measure assessing patient expectations of medical and psychological treatments.Design The Treatment Expectation Questionnaire (TEX-Q) was developed based on the integrative model of expectations and a systematic literature review of treatment expectation scales. After creating a comprehensive item pool, the scale was further refined by use of expert ratings and patient interviews.Setting Patients were recruited in primary care at two hospitals in Hamburg, Germany.Participants 13 scientific experts participated in the expert survey. 11 patients waiting for psychological or surgical treatments participated in the qualitative interviews.Results The 2×2×2 multidimensional structure of the TEX-Q assesses two expectation constructs (probabilistic vs value-based) across two outcome domains with two valences (direct benefits and adverse events, broader positive and negative impact), plus process and behavioural control expectations. We examined 583 items from 38 scales identified in the systematic review and developed 78 initial items. Content validity was then rated by experts according to item fit and comprehensibility. The best 53 items were further evaluated for comprehensibility, acceptability, phrasing preference and understanding by interviewing patients prior to treatment using the ‘think aloud’ technique. This resulted in a first 35-item version of the TEX-Q.Conclusions The TEX-Q is a generic, multidimensional measure to assess patient expectations of medical and psychological treatments and allows comparison of the impact of multidimensional expectations across different conditions. The final TEX-Q will be available after psychometric validation.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/8/e036169.full
spellingShingle Bernd Löwe
Yvonne Nestoriuc
Jannis Alberts
Maja Alicia Glahn
Keith Petrie
Johannes Laferton
Meike Shedden-Mora
Development of the generic, multidimensional Treatment Expectation Questionnaire (TEX-Q) through systematic literature review, expert surveys and qualitative interviews
BMJ Open
title Development of the generic, multidimensional Treatment Expectation Questionnaire (TEX-Q) through systematic literature review, expert surveys and qualitative interviews
title_full Development of the generic, multidimensional Treatment Expectation Questionnaire (TEX-Q) through systematic literature review, expert surveys and qualitative interviews
title_fullStr Development of the generic, multidimensional Treatment Expectation Questionnaire (TEX-Q) through systematic literature review, expert surveys and qualitative interviews
title_full_unstemmed Development of the generic, multidimensional Treatment Expectation Questionnaire (TEX-Q) through systematic literature review, expert surveys and qualitative interviews
title_short Development of the generic, multidimensional Treatment Expectation Questionnaire (TEX-Q) through systematic literature review, expert surveys and qualitative interviews
title_sort development of the generic multidimensional treatment expectation questionnaire tex q through systematic literature review expert surveys and qualitative interviews
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/8/e036169.full
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