Fear of Physician – FOP
Measures an individual's anxiety and apprehension when communicating with their physician.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Fear of Physician – FOP was developed by Virginia P. Richmond, R. S. Smith, A. M. Heisel, & James C. McCroskey (1998). It is designed to measure Fear of physician. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 5 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not at all, 2 = Somewhat, 3 = Moderately so, 4 = Very much so.
The scale includes 2 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 25. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low fear of physician: 0 – 6
- Moderate fear of physician: 7 – 13
- High fear of physician: 14 – 25
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 2 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.