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Validation of the Arts Observational Scale (ArtsObS) for the evaluation of performing arts activities in health care settings

Background: As the number of arts-in-health programmes globally continues to increase, there is an growing need for a systematic approach to evaluation both to provide evidence of the efficacy of projects and support continuous quality improvement. The Arts Observational Scale (ArtsObS) is proposed as a mixed-methods tool to evaluate performing arts activities in health care settings. Methods: The tool was developed over two years involving a consultation process with 1,500 patients, relatives and staff, and validated over a six-month period with 805 patients. Construct validity was assessed through extensive literature reviews, and score distributions, inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity were assessed using Pearson’s/Spearman’s coefficient. Results: Organising constructs were grounded in both empirical and theoretical research. Data collected with the tool were well distributed. Inter-rater reliability was very strong (r = .721, p < .001) and concurrent validity was strong (r = .641, p < .001). Conclusions: ArtsObS is a reliable way of evaluating the impact of arts programmes in health care settings and is recommended to practitioners, project managers and researchers.