Author ORCID Identifier
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-8-2019
Abstract
Objectives The purpose of this study was to report the psychometric properties, in terms of validity and reliability, of the Unconscious Version of the Family Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale (FDMSE). Methods A convenience sample of 215 surrogate decision-makers for critically ill patients undergoing mechanical ventilation was recruited from four intensive care units at a tertiary hospital. Cross-sectional data were collected from participants between days 3 and 7 of a decisionally impaired patient's exposure to acute mechanical ventilation. Participants completed a self-report demographic form and subjective measures of family decision-making self-efficacy, preparation for decision-making, and decisional fatigue. Exploratory factor analyses, correlation coefficients, and internal consistency reliability estimates were computed to evaluate the FDMSE's validity and reliability in surrogate decision-makers of critically ill patients. Results The exploratory factor analyses revealed a two-factor, 11-item version of the FDMSE was the most parsimonious in this sample. Furthermore, modified 11-item FDMSE demonstrated discriminant validity with the measures of fatigue and preparation for decision-making and demonstrated acceptable internal consistency reliability estimates. Significance of results This is the first known study to provide evidence for a two-factor structure for a modified, 11-item FDMSE. These dimensions represent treatment and palliation-related domains of family decision-making self-efficacy. The modified FDMSE is a valid and reliable instrument that can be used to measure family decision-making self-efficacy among surrogate decision-makers of the critically ill.
Keywords
critical care, decision-making, family members, psychometrics, self-efficacy
Publication Title
Palliative and Supportive Care
Rights
© Cambridge University Press 2019
Recommended Citation
Pignatiello GA, Irani E, Tahir S, Tsivitse E, Hickman RL. A psychometric evaluation of the Family Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale among surrogate decision-makers of the critically ill. Palliat Support Care. 2020 Oct;18(5):537-543. doi: 10.1017/S1478951519000907.
Comments
This is a peer reviewed Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Cambridge University Press in Palliative and Supportive Care available at https://doi.org/10.1017/S1478951519000907.