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At least 1,621 records · Page 90Linked to original sources

PubMed2003

The Fear of Dental Pain questionnaire: construction and validity.

Anxiety, fear and pain play an important role in the context of dental treatment and patients' well-being. The Fear of Pain Questionnaire (FPQ)-III is a recently developed self-report questionnaire measuring pain-related fear of a variety of painful stimuli. The present study was undertaken in order to develop a dental equivalent of the FPQ-III, called the Fear of Dental Pain questionnaire (FDP), to determine standard psychometric characteristics and to assess the instruments' validity. Four experienced dentists generated the initial pool of items and two methodologists constructed the initial questionnaire. Two studies were performed. In the study one, a sample of psychology freshmen (n = 309) was taken in order to analyse response patterns. In study two, a sample (n = 176) of patients, dental students and the general population was examined. Results from both studies were used to determine reliability and validity. High internal consistency (0.93) with satisfactory test-retest reliability (0.75) was obtained. Factor analysis revealed a strong one-dimensional factor underlying almost all items. Finally, the proposed FDP version was related to a measure of dental fear and a general measure of fear of pain. All a priori hypotheses were confirmed, thereby providing evidence for the validity of the FDP. The FPD may prove to be a clinically useful tool in the dental setting, and a potentially important covariate in dental pain perception research.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) scale: a methodological review.

BACKGROUND: This paper compiles data from different sources to get a first comprehensive picture of psychometric and other methodological characteristics of the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) scale. The scale was designed and standardized as a self-administered scale to (a) to assess symptoms/complaints of aging women under different conditions, (b) to evaluate the severity of symptoms over time, and (c) to measure changes pre- and postmenopause replacement therapy. The scale became widespread used (available in 10 languages). METHOD: A large multinational survey (9 countries in 4 continents) from 2001/ 2002 is the basis for in depth analyses on reliability and validity of the MRS. Additional small convenience samples were used to get first impressions about test-retest reliability. The data were centrally analyzed. Data from a postmarketing HRT study were used to estimate discriminative validity. RESULTS: Reliability measures (consistency and test-retest stability) were found to be good across countries, although the sample size for test-retest reliability was small. VALIDITY: The internal structure of the MRS across countries was astonishingly similar to conclude that the scale really measures the same phenomenon in symptomatic women. The sub-scores and total score correlations were high (0.7-0.9) but lower among the sub-scales (0.5-0.7). This however suggests that the subscales are not fully independent. Norm values from different populations were presented showing that a direct comparison between Europe and North America is possible, but caution recommended with comparisons of data from Latin America and Indonesia. But this will not affect intra-individual comparisons within clinical trials. The comparison with the Kupperman Index showed sufficiently good correlations, illustrating an adept criterion-oriented validity. The same is true for the comparison with the generic quality-of-life scale SF-36 where also a sufficiently close association has been shown. CONCLUSION: The currently available methodological evidence points towards a high quality of the MRS scale to measure and to compare HRQoL of aging women in different regions and over time, it suggests a high reliability and high validity as far as the process of construct validation could be completed yet.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Italian translation and validation of the ICNP Beta (International Classification for Nursing Practice].

The visibility of nursing care can be measured through the results on the patient and studying the existing data on patient care. An important area is tied up for a common language and terminology because it is important to have a universal understanding. For this reason the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has elaborated an international terminology for Nursing Practice that can be useful to pick up and to catalogue the problems of nursing nature in diagnosis also finding a system of classification of the activities The Consociazione Association, as representative of the ICN in Italy, through the School of Advanced Nursing of the University "La Sapienza" of Rome, has set up a Working group for the translation of the document ICNP version Beta. The present article explains the difficulties related to the Italian translation, the working group, the procedure, the validation and the met problems along with a vision for the future development and utilization.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Three-dimensional quantitative structure-property relationship (3D-QSPR) models for prediction of thermodynamic properties of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs): enthalpies of fusion and their application to estimates of enthalpies of sublimation and aqueous solubilities.

Comparative Molecular Field Analysis (CoMFA) has been used to develop three-dimensional quantitative structure-property relationship (3D-QSPR) models for the fusion enthalpy at the melting point (Delta(fus)H(m)(T(fus))) of a representative set of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Various alignment schemes, such as inertial, as is, atom fit, and field fit, were used in this study to evaluate the predictive capabilities of the models. The CoMFA models have also been derived using partial atomic charges calculated from the electrostatic potential (ESP) and Gasteiger-Marsili (GM) methods. The combination of atom fit alignment and GM charges yielded the greatest self-consistency (r(2) = 0.955) and internal predictive ability (r(cv)(2) = 0.783). This CoMFA model was used to predict Delta(fus)H(m)(T(fus)) of the entire set of 209 PCB congeners, including 193 PCB congeners for which experimental values are unavailable. The CoMFA-predicted values, combined with previous estimations of vaporization and sublimation enthalpies, were used to construct a thermodynamic cycle that validated the internal self-consistency of the predictions for these three thermodynamic properties. The CoMFA-predicted values of fusion enthalpy were also used to calculate aqueous solubilities of PCBs using Mobile Order and Disorder Theory. The agreement between calculated and experimental values of solubility at 298.15 K, characterized by a standard deviation of +/- 0.41 log units, demonstrates the utility of CoMFA-predicted values of fusion enthalpies to calculate aqueous solubilities of PCBs.

Environmental Pollutants↗

PubMed2004

A rapid and simple determination of A77 1726 in human serum by high-performance liquid chromatography and its application for optimization of leflunomide therapy.

Leflunomide is a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug, which is bioactivated by formation of A77 1726. In this study a rapid and simple quantitative assay using a reversed phase HPLC-UV method is validated for detection of A77 1726 in human serum. The HPLC-UV method uses a mobile phase consisting of methanol and a KH2PO4-buffer (45 mM, pH = 3) (50:50,v/v), at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. A77 1726 is detected by UV-absorption at 295 nm with a retention time of 8.9 min. Demoxepam is used as internal standard. Validation showed lower and upper limits of quantitation of 0.5 and 100 mg/L, respectively. The assay was linear over the concentration range of 0.5-100 mg/L (r2 > 0.999). Intra- and inter-day precision showed coefficients of variation within 15% over the complete concentration range; accuracy was within 8%. Commonly prescribed drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis like disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, analgesics and corticosteroids, and their main metabolites, are separated from A77 1726 with a resolution >2. Serum levels of A77 1726 in 37 patients on leflunomide therapy were determined using this HPLC-UV method. Measured serum A77 1726 serum concentrations in patient samples showed large variability with a range of 3-176 mg/L.

Aniline Compounds↗

PubMed2006

Assessing normative cut points through differential item functioning analysis: an example from the adaptation of the Middlesex Elderly Assessment of Mental State (MEAMS) for use as a cognitive screening test in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: The Middlesex Elderly Assessment of Mental State (MEAMS) was developed as a screening test to detect cognitive impairment in the elderly. It includes 12 subtests, each having a 'pass score'. A series of tasks were undertaken to adapt the measure for use in the adult population in Turkey and to determine the validity of existing cut points for passing subtests, given the wide range of educational level in the Turkish population. This study focuses on identifying and validating the scoring system of the MEAMS for Turkish adult population. METHODS: After the translation procedure, 350 normal subjects and 158 acquired brain injury patients were assessed by the Turkish version of MEAMS. Initially, appropriate pass scores for the normal population were determined through ANOVA post-hoc tests according to age, gender and education. Rasch analysis was then used to test the internal construct validity of the scale and the validity of the cut points for pass scores on the pooled data by using Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analysis within the framework of the Rasch model. RESULTS: Data with the initially modified pass scores were analyzed. DIF was found for certain subtests by age and education, but not for gender. Following this, pass scores were further adjusted and data re-fitted to the model. All subtests were found to fit the Rasch model (mean item fit 0.184, SD 0.319; person fit -0.224, SD 0.557) and DIF was then found to be absent. Thus the final pass scores for all subtests were determined. CONCLUSION: The MEAMS offers a valid assessment of cognitive state for the adult Turkish population, and the revised cut points accommodate for age and education. Further studies are required to ascertain the validity in different diagnostic groups.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Validation of the Japanese version of the NEO Five-Factor Inventory in a large community sample.

The NEO Five-Factor Inventory is the shortened version of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory. The aim of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the shortened version in the general population of Japan. This version was translated into Japanese and then administered to 2,051 adults in a rural town in Akita Prefecture. A total of 1,664 (81.1%) individuals gave valid answers. Internal reliability, assessed by Cronbach alpha for subscales, ranged from .60 to .77. The scales were only weakly correlated both with each other and with age. In a multiple regression analysis, only the Neuroticism scale score was a significant predictor of scores on the General Health Questionnaire. Factor analysis supported the theoretical structure of personality. Overall, the Japanese version showed good reliability and validity in this sample of the general population of Japan.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

[Translation and psychometric testing of the Rotator Cuff Quality-of-Life Measure (RC-QOL) for use in German-speaking regions].

The evaluation of quality of life is an established criterion for evaluation of therapeutic measures. Starting from the English-speaking area a great number of different patient-based outcomes measures were developed to specifically question disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the results of treatment. Because of the lack of a German measurement tool for patients with rotator cuff disease the translation and the psychometric testing following international guidelines of the 34-item, multidimensional, English Rotator Cuff Quality-of-Life Measure (RC-QOL) was undertaken. Reliability (test-retest reliability, internal consistency), validity, practicability and acceptance of the German version of the RC-QOL were tested by 102 patients with an impingement syndrome after translation and cross-culture adaptation of the English original questionnaire. In addition, the SF-36, the Constant and UCLA scores were evaluated. Between the evaluations there was no significant difference; the Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.89 for the test-retest reliability. The internal consistency showed a high homogeneity with a Cronbach Alpha-coefficient of 0.98. A Pearson correlation coefficient between 0.67-0.76 registered a high correlation with the physical subscales of the SF-36, the Constant and the UCLA scores. The mean time required for completing the RC-QOL was 12 minutes; mean time required for evaluation was 10 minutes. The questionnaire was incompletely answered by 16 patients (15.6%). A total of 120 items (3.5%) were left unanswered. After successful translation and psychometric testing of the German version of the Rotator Cuff Quality-of-Life Measure (RC-QOL) a multidimensional measurement tool for evaluating the quality of life of German-speaking patients with pathology of the rotator cuff is available.

Female↗

PubMed2003

The Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) scale: review of its methodological characteristics.

BACKGROUND: The current paper reviews data from different sources to get a closer impression on the psychometric and other methodological characteristics of the Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) scale gathered recently. The scale was designed and standardized as self-administered scale to (a) to assess symptoms of aging (independent from those which are disease-related) between groups of males under different conditions, (b) to evaluate the severity of symptoms over time, and (c) to measure changes pre- and post androgen replacement therapy. The scale is in widespread use (14 languages). METHOD: Original data from different studies in many countries were centrally analysed to evaluate reliability and validity of the AMS. RESULTS: Reliability measures (consistency and test-retest stability) were found to be good across countries, although the sample size was sometimes small. VALIDITY: The internal structure of the AMS in healthy and androgen deficient males, and across countries was sufficiently similar to conclude that the scale really measures the same phenomenon. The sub-scores and total score correlations were high (0.8-0.9) but lower among the sub-scales (0.5-0.7). This however suggests that the subscales are not fully independent. The comparison with other scales for aging males or screening instruments for androgen deficiency showed sufficiently good correlations, illustrating a good criterion-oriented validity. The same is true for the comparison with the generic quality-of-life scale SF36 where also high correlation coefficients have been shown. Methodological analyses of a treatment study of symptomatic males with testosterone demonstrated the ability of the AMS scale to measure treatment effect, irrespective of the severity of complaints before therapy. It was also shown that the AMS result can predict the independently generated (physician's) opinion about the individual treatment effect. CONCLUSION: The currently available methodological evidence points towards a high quality of the AMS scale to measure and to compare HRQoL of aging males over time or before/after treatment, it suggests a high reliability and high validity as far as the process of construct validation could be pressed ahead yet. But certainly more data will become available, particularly from ongoing clinical studies.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Estimates of work-related cancers in workers exposed to carcinogens.

AIM: To evaluate the proportion of work-related cancers. METHODS: A descriptive study of incident cases of cancer during 3 years in a French county. All people with cancer having a current or past working history were included in the studied population which was recruited from local hospitals. A working history was obtained from each subject by interview. The different organ cancers were linked using well-defined criteria, to specific occupational carcinogenic exposures. The results obtained were compared to international data on work-related cancer incidences. RESULTS: A total of 2009 cases were included and 3.18% (64) met the criteria for work-related cancer as defined. Asbestos and polycyclic hydrocarbons were the main occupational carcinogens identified. Construction and fabricated metal products sectors were linked to almost two-thirds of work-related cancers. The percentage of the studied population with attributable risk for occupational cancer was relatively close to international data (mean 4%) and organ cancer distribution percentages did not vary significantly from international published validated data. CONCLUSION: Work-related cancers tend to be concentrated in relatively small groups of people among whom the risk of developing the disease may be quite large. The detection of occupational hazards should therefore have a higher priority in any programme of cancer prevention. Well-defined criteria to identify specifically cancers with an occupational origin should be specified by the scientific international community.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Perceptions of medical errors by internal medicine residents: development and validation of a new scale.

Efforts to identify the underlying structure of 40 survey items dealing with perceptions of medical errors are reported on the basis of responses from 195 medical residents. Factor analysis revealed that the medical errors perceptions were represented by a 10-factor solution. The external validity of these factors was examined relative to perceptions about the cost of medical errors, the cost of errors to health care, and the need for education and interventions to address errors. Results indicated that 13.9% of the variation in the perceived cost of medical errors and 17.1% of the variation in the perceived need for additional physician education was explained by the factor structure.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Validation study of a diary for use in acute lower respiratory tract infection.

BACKGROUND: Despite lower respiratory tract infection (LRTi) being the most common illness treated by doctors, no validated outcome measure to assess symptom duration and severity has been developed for patient self-completion. METHODS: As part of a randomized control trial researching management of acute LRTi, an easy self-completion diary was formulated and validated against the 'measure yourself medical outcome profile 2' (MYMOP2), an instrument previously validated in general practice. RESULTS: Spearman rank correlations of the diary profile versus MYMOP2 profile at baseline (r = 0.62), day 11 (r = 0.81) and change in score over time (r = 0.51) indicate that our diary correlates significantly with MYMOP2. The standardized response mean of the diary profile (mean change/SD change) = 1.48, indicating sensitivity to change. CONCLUSION: This study shows that a simple symptom diary is internally reliable, valid and sensitive to change for acute LRTi. This instrument could be used as a routine measure of LRTi in further research in both primary and secondary care.

Humans↗

PubMed2006

Towards patient-centered health services in India--a scale to measure patient perceptions of quality.

OBJECTIVE: . (i) To develop a reliable and valid scale to measure in-patient and outpatient perceptions of quality in India and (ii) to identify aspects of perceived quality which have large effects on patient satisfaction. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey of health facilities and patients at clinics. SETTING: Primary health centers, community health centers, district hospitals, and female district hospitals in the state of Uttar Pradesh in north India. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Internal consistency, validity, and factor structure of the scale are evaluated. The association between patient satisfaction and perceived quality dimensions is examined. RESULTS: A 16-item scale having good reliability and validity is developed. Five dimensions of perceived quality are identified-medicine availability, medical information, staff behavior, doctor behavior, and hospital infrastructure. Patient perceptions of quality at public health facilities are slightly better than neutral. Multivariate regression analysis results indicate that for outpatients, doctor behavior has the largest effect on general patient satisfaction followed by medicine availability, hospital infrastructure, staff behavior, and medical information. For in-patients, staff behavior has the largest effect followed by doctor behavior, medicine availability, medical information, and hospital infrastructure. CONCLUSIONS: The scale developed can be used to measure perceived quality at a range of facility types for outpatients and in-patients. Perceived quality at public facilities is only marginally favorable, leaving much scope for improvement. Better staff and physician interpersonal skills, facility infrastructure, and availability of drugs have the largest effect in improving patient satisfaction at public health facilities.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

An empirical comparison of the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire (CRQ) in a clinical trial setting.

BACKGROUND: The Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ) and the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) are the two most widely used quality of life questionnaires in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A study was undertaken to compare directly the self-administered version of the CRQ and the SGRQ with respect to feasibility, internal consistency, validity, and sensitivity to changes resulting from bronchodilator therapy. METHODS: One hundred and forty four patients with moderate or severe COPD were randomly assigned to receive three months of treatment with either salmeterol, salmeterol + ipratropium bromide, or placebo. Quality of life was measured at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: The proportions of missing values per patient were low for both questionnaires (0.54% for the CRQ and 2% for the SGRQ). The internal consistency was good for both questionnaires (Cronbach's alpha coefficients >/= 0.84 for the CRQ and >/= 0.76 for the SGRQ). Factor analysis confirmed the original domain structure of the CRQ but not of the SGRQ. Correlations with forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)) % predicted and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) were low for both questionnaires but better for the SGRQ than for the CRQ. The ability to discriminate between subjects with different levels of FEV(1) was somewhat better for the SGRQ. The correlations with symptom scores were comparable for both questionnaires. Cross sectionally, the scores of the two questionnaires were moderately to highly correlated (coefficients ranged from 0.35 to 0.72). Longitudinally, these correlations were lower (coefficients ranged from 0.17 to 0.54) but were still significant. The CRQ total and emotions score and the SGRQ symptoms score were the most responsive to change. The SGRQ symptoms domain was the only domain where the improvement in patients receiving combination treatment crossed the threshold for clinical relevance. CONCLUSIONS: Since this analysis of reliability, validity, and responsiveness to change did not clearly favour one instrument above the other, the choice between the CRQ and the SGRQ can be based on other considerations such as the required sample size or the availability of reference values.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

[An evaluation of the Spacelabs 90207 model of the ambulatory arterial pressure monitoring system].

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to validate the SpaceLabs 90207 apparatus used in non-invasive outpatient monitoring of blood pressure. METHODS: The measurements of blood pressure (BP) and cardiac frequency (CF) obtained with the SpaceLabs monitor were compared with those obtained with a mercury sphygmomanometer used as the reference method in 86 patients with a wide range of ages and BP. The differences between both methods of measurement were quantified by a previously protocolized grade system from the British Hypertension Society (BHS). RESULTS: The mean of the differences between both systems of reading was 1.59 +/- 5.9 mmHg for systolic BP (SBP) 1.05 +/- 4.4 mmHg for diastolic BP (DBP) and -0.64 +/- 2.55 beats per minute for the CF. The accumulated percentage of differences of BP less than or equal to 5, 10 and 15 mmHg was of 74, 89 and 96%, respectively corresponding to grade B according to the validation protocol of the BHS. Grade B was obtained in all the interval differences of BP except within the range of DBP greater than or equal to 100 mmHg which showed grade A. Grades A or B were obtained in all the age groups except for grade C in the SBP of subjects over the age of 65. CONCLUSIONS: The SpaceLabs 90207 monitor satisfies the criteria of internationally accepted validation criteria, therefore, its use can be recommended for the outpatient blood pressure measurement.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

EuroSCORE: a systematic review of international performance.

The validity of the cardiac surgical scoring system, EuroSCORE, has been assessed by several individual cardiac centres within and outside Europe. We chose to assess the overall international performance by systematic review of peer-reviewed literature. There were six studies meeting our criteria for assessment. Internationally, the evidence is highly suggestive that additive EuroSCORE performance generally over-estimates mortality at lower EuroSCOREs (EuroSCORE</=6) and under-estimates mortality at higher EuroSCOREs (EuroSCORE>13). The effect of this could have serious misrepresentations for surgeons and hospitals operating on differing case-mixes. We suggest that further studies need to be performed on the logistic EuroSCORE calculation to ascertain whether predictive ability is improved. Overall, however, EuroSCORE is the most rigorously evaluated scoring system in cardiac surgery.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Translation and validation of the Dutch version of the International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form.

BACKGROUND: For knee-related surgery, there is a great demand for internationally useable subjective scoring systems. Before such measurements can be used, they should be translated and validated for the population they are used on. For the Dutch population, only the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index and Oxford 12 Questionnaire have been validated. However, these scores can only be used regarding osteoarthritis of the knee. In 2001, the International Knee Documentation Committee presented the Subjective Knee Form, which is a knee-specific rather than a disease-specific questionnaire. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study (diagnosis/symptom prevalence); Level of evidence, 2. METHODS: The authors describe the translation procedure and validation of the Dutch Subjective Knee Form. After a forward-backward translation protocol, the reliability, validity, and content validity were tested. The responses of 145 consecutive knee patients on 2 questionnaires containing the Short Form-36, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, Oxford 12 Questionnaire score, a visual analog scale, and the Dutch International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form were used. Reliability was tested by measuring the test-retest reliability and internal consistency. Validity was tested by correlating the questionnaire to the other outcome measurements, and content validity was tested by measuring the floor and ceiling effects. RESULTS: The reliability proved excellent with an intraclass coefficient of 0.96 for test-retest. Internal consistency was strong (Cronbach alpha, .92). The construct, convergent, and divergent validities were good. The content validity was good; no floor or ceiling effect occurred. CONCLUSION: The validation procedure shows that the Dutch International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form is an excellent evaluation instrument for Dutch patients with knee-related injuries.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

[Validity of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale].

The internal structure and validity of terms used in the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (Overall and Gorham, 1962) was analyzed. The data which had been gained at the entrance examination of 1557 inpatients with the diagnosis according to ICD-9 (schizophrenia simplex, schizophrenia paranoids, schizoaffective disease depressive type, schizoaffective disease manic type, manic-depressive disease manic phase, manic-depressive disease depressive phase) were processed using stepwise discriminant analysis (SDA). Three-dimensional space defined by SDA provided a sufficient frame of relations for the majority of diagnostic groups. Incomplete component analysis justified the assumption of a relatively stabile internal structure of the method. The findings allow to recommend the Czech version of the scale for the purpose of description of psychic impairments in psychiatry.

Adolescent↗