French adaptation of the Medical Communication Competence Scale in the context of cancer

Abstract

Background: The study presents the French validation of Medical Communication Competence Scale (MCCS, Cegala, 1998, 2007). MCCS is a self-report scale for measuring doctors' and patients' perceptions of self-communication and other communication competence during a medical interview. Method: The French version of MCCS (40-item) was administered to 218 patients with cancer (Age = 61,6 y.o. - 69,3% Female), as well as the BIPQ (Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire) and QLQ C-30 (Quality of life of cancer patients). Results: Factor analysis showed a unidimensional structure (Cronbach's alpha = .92). Bivariate correlations between MCCS scales, BIPQ and QLQ C-30 showed a weak association between satisfaction with medical communication and treatment control (r=0.18), understanding (r=0.19) and emotional response (r=-0.16) representations, but no significant association with general quality of life. Discussion: In a one-dimensional perspective, this scale is a general assessment of the quality of the patient-physician relationship and it provides a way to explore the link between this relationship and the patients’ beliefs about their illness, and to improve patients’ understanding of the information, satisfaction with medical care and subsequent psychological adjustment.