The Empathic Communication Coding System (ECCS) is a promising measure of such behaviors, yet its reliability remains largely unestablished. The aim of the study was to examine the intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of the ECCS.
Methods:
Transcripts of occupational therapy audio recordings were used to examine the reliabilities. Two occupational therapists were trained to evaluate the data for inter-rater reliability, and one of them evaluated the data twice for intra-rater reliability. Transcripts of 20 patients treated by 18 therapists were evaluated for intra-rater reliability. Transcripts of 25 patients treated by 22 occupational therapy interns were evaluated for inter-rater reliability. Adult rehabilitated patients with basic verbal communication ability were recruited. The percentage of agreement and Cohen’s κ were calculated as the indices of reliability.
Results:
The results showed acceptable intra-rater reliability but poor inter-rater reliability of the ECCS.
Conclusions:
The ECCS demonstrates potential as a reliable tool for assessing empathic behaviors over time when evaluated by the same raters.
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