Faculty Collaboration Database

An Instrument to Assess Self-Perceived Competencies in End-of-Life Care for Health Care Professionals: The End-of-Life Care Questionnaire. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2021 Dec;38(12):1426-1432

Date

04/01/2021

Pubmed ID

33787330

DOI

10.1177/10499091211005735

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85103603162 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   3 Citations

Abstract

PURPOSE: We describe the development and the psychometric properties of an instrument to assess self-perceived EOL care competencies for healthcare professionals: The End-of-Life Care Questionnaire (EOL-Q).

METHODS: The EOL-Q consists of 28 questions assessing knowledge, attitudes and behaviors with subscale items addressing seven domains of care: decision-making, communication, continuity of care, emotional support for patients/families, symptom management, spiritual support for patients/families, and support for clinicians. The EOL-Q was used to assess competencies of 1,197 healthcare professionals from multiple work units at a large medical center. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were calculated for the survey and subscales. A factor analysis was also conducted.

RESULTS: Internal consistency reliability was for was high for the total scale (0.93) and for the subscales addressing knowledge, behaviors, decision-making, communication, emotional support and symptom management (0.84-0.92); and moderate (>0.68) for the attitudes and continuity of care subscales. The factor analysis demonstrated robust consolidation of the communication and continuity of care subscales (eigenvalue 9.47), decision-making subscale (eigenvalue 3.38), symptom management subscale (eigenvalue 1.51), and emotional and spiritual support subscales (eigenvalue 1.13).

CONCLUSION: Analysis of the psychometric properties of the EOL-Q care across settings supports its reliability and validity as a measure of self-perceived EOL care competencies in the domains of communication and continuity of care, decision-making, symptom management, and emotional and spiritual support. The EOL-Q displays promise as a tool for use in a variety of educational, research, and program development initiatives in EOL care.

Author List

Montagnini M, Smith HM, Price DM, Strodtman L, Ghosh B

Author

Heather M. Smith PhD Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Health Personnel
Humans
Palliative Care
Reproducibility of Results
Surveys and Questionnaires
Terminal Care