Detailled Information

Gagnon M, Hibert R, Dube M, Dubois M. Development and validation of an instrument measuring individual empowerment in relation to personal health care: the Health Care Empowerment Questionnaire (HCEQ). Am J Heal Promot. 2006;20(6):429-435.

Psychometric characteristics of the health care empowerment questionnaire in a sample of patients with arthritis and rheumatic condition

Testing Psychometrics of Healthcare Empowerment Questionnaires (HCEQ) among Iranian Reproductive Age Women: Persian Version

This questionnaire measures the degree of individual empowerment in relation to personal health care and services.

The HCEQ measures three aspects of patient empowerment that had been proposed in the literature: degree of control, or consideration of who is involved in making decisions; involvement in interactions, or the ability and opportunity to communicate needs and initiate requests with a health-care provide ; and involvement in decisions, or actively obtaining the information necessary to make rational decisions.

Each item had two response scales successively describing one’s perception of control in regard to health care and services received while motivation was evaluated by the importance of being empowered. First, the subject had to answer the following question: ‘‘Did you feel that . . .’’ (for example, ‘‘. . . you asked for explanations’’). The answers to this question were based on the following fourpoint Likert scale: 1  not at all, 2 somewhat, 3  very much, and 4 extremely. The second question, related to the same element in regard to health care and services, evaluated the level of motivation: ‘‘How important is it that . . .’’ (for example, ‘‘. . . you ask for explanations’’). In this case, the four-point response scale was 1  not important at all, 2  slightly important, 3  very important, and 4  extremely important.
The score varies from 0 to 10  and was calculated by summing the crossproducts derived for each item