BACKGROUND
Patients with incurable and life-limiting illnesses identify compassionate care as one of their greatest needs. Evidence implies a considerable theory-practice gap, with compassionate care adopted in research, policy, and healthcare reform but increasingly eroding from the bedside. The Sinclair Compassion Questionnaire (SCQ) is a 15-item measure assessing a patient’s experience of compassion.
The SCQ adds an important dimension to both psychosocial and patient-orientated health services research, provides a validated measure to evaluate and improve compassionate care in practice, informs the development of evidence-based and sustainable healthcare policy, and provides educators with a means to equip and assess this practice competency in future healthcare providers.
AREAS OF APPLICATION
- Healthcare practices
- Research studies, clinical trials, and observational studies
- Education and training
- Policymaking
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES
- Validated through two study phases on 633 patients in acute care, long-term care, hospice, and homecare.
- Easy to administer and can be incorporated into existing patient experience and healthcare surveys.
- Supported by an active digital platform with a variety of resources including informational videos.
- Ongoing international validation studies.
STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT
- Validated through two study phases on 633 patients in acute care, long-term care, hospice, and homecare.
- Easy to administer and can be incorporated into existing patient experience and healthcare surveys.
- Supported by an active digital platform with a variety of resources including informational videos.
- Ongoing international validation studies.
PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES
- Journal publication: Sinclair S et al. (2021). Development and validation of a patient-reported measure of compassion in healthcare: the Sinclair Compassion Questionnaire (SCQ). BMJ Open.
- Learn more: Compassion Measure Website and informational videos
- Researcher profile: Dr. Shane Sinclair
- Lab website: Compassion Research Lab