Validating Modified PHEEM Questionnaire for Measuring Educa- tional Environment in Academic Emergency Departments

Background: The quality of the educational environment is a key determinant in postgraduate training programs. In order to evaluate and understand this environment a valid and reliable instrument is required. The PHEEM (Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure) questionnaire is one of the most widely used tools for evaluating the perception of hospital-based residents. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric quality of the PHEEM in the context of emergency medicine program. Method: This study evaluated the reliability, construct validity and applicability of the Persian version of the PHEEM questionnaire using a sample of emergency medicine residents from 3 emergency medicine residency programs in Iran. Eighty-nine residents were asked to complete the questionnaire and indicate their agreement with each of the 37 statements using a 5-point Likert scale (strongly disagree: 0 to strongly agree: 4). Cronbach s alpha coefficient was calculated to determine internal consistency. Confirmatory and explanatory factor analyses were performed to assess the construct validity of the original 3 subscales of the questionnaire. Results: The mean score for the total questionnaire was 2.24 (SD: 0.06). The Cronbach s alpha value was found to be 0.86. Factor analysis did not confirm the original three subscales of the PHEEM questionnaire. Conclusion: The Persian version of PHEEM proved a reliable and practical tool for assessing clinical educational environment in emer- gency medicine departments.