The Importance of Reliability in Likert Scale Surveys

When it comes to assessing patient-reported outcomes, researchers often rely on surveys and questionnaires. One common method used is the Likert scale, where patients respond to questions by selecting from a range of predefined answers. Another method is visual analog scales, which allow patients to mark their responses along a continuous spectrum.

Before developing new surveys, it's essential to pilot test them to identify any issues with readability and redundancy (Sung et al., 2016). This involves gathering input from multiple perspectives, such as physicians, patients, epidemiologists, and psychologists. A literature review of existing tools is also crucial to determine if validated surveys already exist in the space.

The instrument development process is a multi-step procedure that begins with determining what patient-reported outcomes developers want to measure. Questions are then generated and assembled into a single instrument, followed by psychometric analysis (Vickery et al., 2001). It's essential to ensure that these instruments accurately capture what researchers intend to measure.

Surveys are often preferred over interviews because they are inexpensive, practical, and easy to administer. There are two primary methods for assessing patient-reported outcomes: patient-completed questionnaires and researcher-administered interviews (Partin MD, PhD, 2021).

In conclusion, the reliability of Likert scale surveys is critical in ensuring that they accurately capture patient-reported outcomes. By following a rigorous process of development and implementation, researchers can increase the validity and reliability of their instruments.

Reliability of likert scale