Integrated Primary Care Readiness and Behaviors Scale: Development and Validation in Behavioral Health Professionals

Introduction: Although integrated primary care (IPC) is growing, several barriers remain. Better understanding of behavioral health professionals' (BHPs') readiness for and engagement in IPC behaviors could improve IPC research and training. This study developed measures of IPC behaviors and stage of change. Method: The sample included 319 licensed, practicing BHPs with a range of interests and experience with IPC. Sequential measurement development procedures, with split-half cross-validation were conducted. Results: Exploratory principal components analyses (N = 152) and confirmatory factor analyses (N = 167) yielded a 12-item scale with 2 factors: consultation/practice management (CPM) and intervention/knowledge (IK). A higher-order Integrated Primary Care Behavior Scale (IPCBS) model showed good fit to the data, and excellent internal consistencies. The multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) on the IPCBS demonstrated significant large-sized differences across stage and behavior groups. Discussion: The IPCBS demonstrated good psychometric properties and external validation, advancing research, education, and training for IPC practice.