Development and pilot testing of the CHASE checklist for assessing accessory circumstances in homeopathy for chronic miasmatic diseases in adults: Mixed-methods research
Description
This mixed-methods study developed and pilot-tested the Checklist for Assessing Accessory Circumstances in Homeopathy (CHASE), a tool designed to systematically identify non-miasmatic factors affecting the onset, persistence, and prognosis of chronic disease. Items were generated through literature review and expert input, refined through Delphi consensus and committee review, and evaluated for validity and reliability in 80 participants using descriptive, regression, factor-analytic, Rasch, and internal-consistency methods. The initial 39-item checklist showed strong content and face validity and excellent inter-rater reliability, but weak internal consistency, low item–total correlations, item misfit, differential item functioning, and a multidimensional rather than unidimensional structure. Cognitive debriefing led to the removal or refinement of three items, producing a final 36-item version. CHASE-36 is therefore a promising exploratory instrument but requires larger-scale validation and further item refinement before routine clinical use.
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Institutions
- West Bengal University of Health SciencesWest Bengal, Kolkata