Assessing comfort in the epilepsy monitoring unit: Psychometric testing of an instrument

Egger-Rainer, Andrea; Trinka, Eugen; Zimmermann, Georg; Arnold, Stephan; Bosselmann, Christian; Hamer, Hajo; Hengsberger, Anna; Lang, Johannes; Lerche, Holger; Noachtar, Soheyl; Pataraia, Ekaterina; Schulze-Bonhage, Andreas; Staack, Anke Maren; Unterberger, Iris und Lorenzl, Stefan (2020): Assessing comfort in the epilepsy monitoring unit: Psychometric testing of an instrument. In: Epilepsy & Behavior, Bd. 112, 107460

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the newly developed Epilepsy Monitoring Unit Comfort Questionnaire (EMUCQ) according to the consensus-based standards for the selection of health measurements instruments (COSMIN). Moreover, we aimed to assess changes in comfort-levels. Methods: From October 2018 to November 2019, a total of 267 patients participated in a quantitative study in ten epilepsy centers in Austria and southern Germany. For basic item analysis, descriptive analysis and correlational analysis were computed. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was undertaken to detect the factor structure. Reliability was checked through internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and the measurement error. In the validity domain, convergent validity and structural validity were estimated. t-Tests were used to detect changes in comfort-levels. Results: Due to unfavorable statistical properties, two items were removed. Exploratory factor analysis showed a three-factorial solution. The EMUCQ was found to be a reliable instrument (Cronbach's alpha 0.77-0.81 for the subscales, 0.88 for the scale total comfort);convergent validity could be supported, too. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the hypothesis that structural validity for the three subscales holds. The patients' comfort levels were lower at the end of the stay than at the beginning and lower in nonseizure free patients compared with seizure-free patients. Conclusion: Validity and reliability are supported for the 42-item EMUCQ in the three-factorial solution. Owing to the item reduction and modifications made in the CFA, a new test should be carried out on a different sample.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Medizin
• Themengebiete: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften > 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
• ISSN: 1525-5050
• Sprache: Englisch