DOI: https://doi.org/10.53350/pjmhs2115123759 ORIGINAL ARTICLE P J M H S Vol. 15, No.12, DEC 2021 3759 Validation of Newly Developed Questionnaire Islamic Work Ethics Questionnaire – A pilot study FAIZAN MUNIR KHAN 1 , AMIR RAFIQ 2 , HAMZA HASSAN MIRZA 3 , ZUHAIR MEHDI 4 , SALEHA SAEED 5 1 Demonstrator, Dental Education Department, Dental College, HITEC Institute of Medical Sciences, Heavy Industries, Taxila Cantt, Taxila. 2 Assistant Professor, Prosthodontics, Dental College, HITEC Institute of Medical Sciences, Heavy Industries, Taxila Cantt, Taxila. 3 Senior Registrar, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Dental College, HITEC Institute of Medical Sciences, Heavy Industries, Taxila Cantt, Taxila. 4 Registrar, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Dental College, HITEC Institute of Medical Sciences, Heavy Industries, Taxila Cantt, Taxila. 5 Demonstrator, Oral Pathology Department, Dental College, HITEC Institute of Medical Sciences, Heavy Industries, Taxila Cantt, Taxila. Corresponding author: Dr. Faizan Munir Khan, Email: fmksr2007@gmail.com, Cell No: 0334-0031031, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2909- 4122. ABSTRACT Background: The field of measuring Islamic work ethics is a nascent one, and not much work has been cited on the topic. The most cited work is of Mr. Ali from Indiana University, but protestant work ethics and Arabic culture heavily influence that work, so the need was felt for a purpose-built questionnaire for health professionals free from foreign influences. Methods: A mixed-methods exploratory study was performed to develop a novel instrument, following A.M.E.E. guide no. 87, its validity & reliability was established via the measurement of statistical tests such as Cro nbach α, Item-Total Correlation & Pearson’s Correlation. Results: Cronbach α was calculated to be 0.9, which is an excellent result. Furthermore, a strong correlation of Islamic ethical constructs Unisation/Tawheed with Itqan/Ihsan; Amanah/Adl and correlation of Itqan/Ihsan with Amanah/Adl; Consultation/Shura; and Unisation/Tawheed was observed. Conclusion: A newly developed data collection instrument was validated following the results of the pilot study. The instrument developed is reliable and fit for purpose. Keywords: Islamic work ethics; measurement tool; medical education; ethics; health professionals. INTRODUCTION The rising incidence of ethical misconduct in the medical profession has provoked a global response in stressing the need for ethics education and inculcation of ethical behaviours(1,2) . A study in India reported that the observance of professional ethics is even lower among dental professionals than their medical counterparts(3) . It is the need of the hour to remediate the rising unethical behaviours and practices, especially in the face of increasing social accountability. In developing countries like Pakistan, there has been a growing rift & miscommunication between doctors and patients, leading to increased dissatisfaction. Some of it can be attributed to the lack of resources and facilities in our healthcare setup, but the doctors are not blameless in this matter. The mindset of health professionals has increasingly become materialistic, and the moral and ethical standards have been on a gradual decline over time. A study investigated the level of awareness of medical ethics among the health professional staff of a tertiary care hospital in Lahore. The study reported a general lack of awareness regarding medical ethics in all respondents ranging from house officers to consultants(4) . In addition, the physicians had poor knowledge about patient autonomy and patient rights; a result echoed in another study which proposed that patients’ wishes may not be respected by health professional staff at all times(5) . METHODS Study Design: The questionnaire development study was of a mixed-method, exploratory design that is typically utilised for questionnaire development. The research project followed the guidelines and 9 step process in A.M.E.E. guide No. 87(6) The validation of that questionnaire was performed via a cross-sectional survey study, using the 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. Study Sites & Duration: A multicentre study was conducted at Riphah International University and H.I.T.E.C. - Institute of Medical Sciences, Taxila. The study duration was six months, from April to September 2021. Sampling: The purposive sampling technique was chosen to include knowledgeable experts regarding Islamic ethics, medical education, and questionnaire construction. Data Collection Procedure: The sample size was thirty- four academicians, selected with guidance from literature(7,8) and valuable feedback from Riphah’s faculty members. Data was collected on the newly developed questionnaire online on Google Forms and printed questionnaires to maximise the response rate. Emails requesting participation in the pilot study were sent to Riphah faculty, while printed questionnaires were used to collect data from HITEC-IMS. In addition, a period of one week was allocated for responses on the online Google Forms questionnaire. RESULTS The newly developed instrument was field-tested at both research sites, namely Riphah International University and HITEC-IMS, Taxila. The sample size was thirty-four respondents, with guidance from literature(7,8) and valuable feedback from Riphah’s faculty members. Reliability of the Instrument: The reliability of the