APA Dictionary of Psychology

a questionnaire to measure patient attitudes toward treatment and preferences for different approaches in health care. Participants indicate whether they agree or disagree with each of 16 statements (e.g., “I usually ask the doctor or nurse lots of questions about the procedures during a medical exam”), which are keyed so that high scores represent favorable attitudes toward self-directed care. [developed in 1980 by David S. Krantz (1949–  ), U.S. medical psychologist, and colleagues at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland]