Background/Objectives: This study aimed to determine the association between chronic schizophrenia, extrapyramidal symptoms (EPSs), body composition, nutritional status, and dynapenia/sarcopenia. Methods: Data from 68 chronic patients with schizophrenia were analyzed using Spearman’s rho correlation coefficients, Kruskal–Wallis test, Mann–Whitney U test, and Cramér’s V statistics. Results: Among the participants, 32.4% had no loss of muscle mass or function, 39.7% had dynapenia, and 27.9% had sarcopenia. This study identified five key findings: (1) Bilateral grip strength, skeletal muscle index, and walking speed are interrelated, with higher negative symptom scores linked to slower movement and rigidity, particularly in the sarcopenia group, indicating that negative symptoms may contribute to muscle weakness and progression to sarcopenia. (2) Increasing age is associated with a decrease in chlorpromazine equivalent dose and an increase in the severity of EPSs. (3) Blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/creatinine ratio and all sarcopenia risk indicators were significantly negatively correlated. (4) Dynapenia and sarcopenia groups exhibited significant differences in muscle mass and nutritional status compared to the non-penia group, including reduced muscle mass, lower basal metabolic rate, and lower visceral fat levels. (5) There was an association between the Barthel Index (BI) score for activities of daily living (ADL) and dynapenia/sarcopenia. Particularly with regard to ADL, it seems necessary to pay attention to muscle weakness in partially independent patients who score 60 points or more. Conclusions: BUN/creatinine ratio, BI, EPSs, body mass index, grip strength, total protein, and albumin were useful indicators for detecting the risk of dynapenia/sarcopenia in routine psychiatric care.

Background/Objectives: Despite the increasing recognition of person-centered care (PCC), existing evaluation tools often have profession-specific limitations, lacking broad applicability across interdisciplinary contexts. This study aimed to develop and validate the Person-Centered Care Instrument (PCCI), designed to assess the competence of healthcare providers from diverse professions. Methods: Using a two-round modified Delphi technique, ten experts validated an initial pool of 63 items. The process assessed both face validity (overall appropriateness) and content validity using a 9-point Likert scale and the Item-level Content Validity Index (I-CVI). Items with a median rating of 6 or higher and an I-CVI of ≥0.70 were retained. Results: The final PCCI consists of 37 items, with a scale-level content validity index of 0.65. Three items achieved universal agreement among the experts (I-CVI = 1.0). For the final 37-item PCCI, the Scale-level Content Validity Index (S-CVI) was 0.65, and the index based on universal agreement was 0.22. Conclusions: The developed PCCI demonstrated good face and content validity, making it a valid and broadly applicable tool for assessing competence in delivering PCC. This instrument can support quality improvement initiatives and help promote a culture of empathy and respect in healthcare.

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to develop the Technological Competency as Caring in Healthcare Providers Instrument (TCCHI) for multidisciplinary use, based on Locsin’s theory of Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing. Methods: A content validation design employing a modified Delphi technique was conducted with a multidisciplinary panel of 10 healthcare experts (recruited by purposive sampling based on expertise in technology/caring). The preliminary 67-item pool was derived from a literature review and theoretical alignment. Two Delphi rounds were implemented to establish face and content validity. Qualitative feedback from Round 1 guided item refinement for Round 2. The Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test was used to confirm the response stability between rounds. Results: Among the 67 initial items, 38 were retained after two Delphi rounds, achieving an I-CVI of 0.80–0.90. Response stability was established (p > 0.05). The resulting 38 items were categorized into six refined concepts reflecting the integration of technology and caring. Inter-rater consistency, assessed by the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), was moderate (Round 1 ICC = 0.49; Round 2 ICC = 0.50), suggesting initial variability among the multidisciplinary panel. Conclusions: The TCCHI is a comprehensive and theoretically grounded instrument applicable across diverse healthcare disciplines. However, the moderate inter-rater consistency suggests that further empirical validation is required. Further psychometric evaluation, including confirmatory factor analysis and internal consistency reliability testing, is required to establish construct validity and strengthen the instrument’s applicability in diverse healthcare settings.

Despite increasing recognition of person-centered care (PCC) as a foundational principle in healthcare, existing evaluation tools often demonstrate profession-specific limitations and lack broad applicability across interdisciplinary professional contexts. This study aimed to develop and establish the content validity of the person-centered care instrument (PCCI), designed to assess the competence of healthcare providers in delivering PCC across diverse professions. A two-round modified Delphi technique was employed for face and content validation. Ten experts were consulted to assess an initial pool of 63 proposed items. Face validity explored the overall appropriateness and relevance of items, while content validity examined relevance ratings using a 9-point Likert scale and the item-level content validity index (I-CVI). Items with a median rating between 6 and 9 and an I-CVI of ≥ 0.70 were retained. Three items achieved universal agreement among the experts (I-CVI = 1.0). For the final 37-item PCCI, the overall scale-level content validity index and that based on universal agreement were 0.65 and 0.22, respectively. The developed PCCI provides a valid evaluation tool for assessing competence in delivering PCC within healthcare practice. This instrument can support quality improvement initiatives and promote a culture of empathy and respect in healthcare delivery.

Background/Objectives: In patients with schizophrenia, gait disturbances (e.g., reduced walking speed and stride length) are linked to neural dysfunction and extrapyramidal symptoms. To inform gait rehabilitation strategies, this study examines the relationships of walking speed with extrapyramidal symptoms, stride length, antipsychotic dosage, ankle joint range of motion, and body composition in patients with chronic schizophrenia. Methods: Sixty-eight patients with chronic schizophrenia were included. All variables were described based on their measurement levels using non-parametric methods. Spearman’s rho was calculated to assess correlations. For multiple linear regression analyses, backward stepwise elimination was used to determine variables associated with walking speed. Statistical significance was set to p < 0.05. Results: Walking speed was positively correlated with stride length, chlorpromazine-equivalent dose, ankle plantar flexion, body mass index, bone mineral content, trunk muscle mass, and skeletal muscle mass index. In contrast, it was negatively correlated with drug-induced extrapyramidal symptoms scale (DIEPSS) scores for gait, bradykinesia, tremor, overall severity, and age. The multiple linear regression indicated that DIEPSS 2 bradykinesia level and ankle plantar flexion angle, adjusted for a 26% variance, best explained the walking speed. Conclusions: A lower bradykinesia severity and a higher ankle plantar flexion are associated with higher walking speeds. Thus, it is critical to assess stride length, bradykinesia, angle/limitation/torque of ankle plantar flexion, trunk and upper and lower limb muscle masses, and walking speed in patients with chronic schizophrenia. Specific strategies for gait rehabilitation should focus on stride training, plantar flexion strengthening exercises, and balance training.

Background/Objectives: With the increasing need for interprofessional team-based care, a practical framework is necessary to evaluate the caring competencies of healthcare providers. This study aimed to develop a refined, concise version of the Technological Competency as Caring in Healthcare Instrument (TCCHI) by: (1) reducing the items from the original 38-item Delphi-validated pool through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and (2) providing a preliminary assessment of its structural validity and reliability. Methods: An online survey was conducted with 528 healthcare professionals across Japan. The CFA process began with the 38 items identified in a previous Delphi study. To optimize model fit and ensure interprofessional applicability, items were systematically refined based on both statistical criteria and theoretical relevance, resulting in a 12-item, three-factor structure. Results: The final 12-item model demonstrated an improved and generally acceptable fit: chi-square to degrees of freedom ratio (χ²/df) = 3.96, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.947, Tucker–Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.931, and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.0749. All factor loadings were statistically significant (p < 0.001) and ranged from 0.437 to 0.83. Composite reliability (CR) for the three factors ranged from 0.700 to 0.827, meeting the threshold for internal consistency. While average variance extracted (AVE) values for some factors were below 0.50, the overall model provided a stable and theoretically consistent structure, albeit as a preliminary psychometric refinement. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence for the structural validity and reliability of a refined 12-item, three-factor TCCHI. By offering a concise measurement tool aligned with caring theory, the TCCHI has the potential to support interprofessional assessment, education, and professional development in technology-mediated healthcare environments. However, further research is required to address issues of discriminant validity and confirm measurement invariance across different professional groups.