Validity and reliability of the left ventricular assist device self-care behaviour scale

BackgroundAdequate self-care behaviour is essential for patients with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to prevent complications, prolong life, and optimise quality of life. However, there were no valid and reliable measurements available to assess self-care behaviour among patients with LVAD. We have previously developed the 33-item LVAD self-care behaviour scale. ObjectivesTo evaluate psychometric properties of the 33-item LVAD self-care behaviour scale. Methods and resultsData on 127 patients with a LVAD in Israel, Japan, and the USA were analysed (mean age 51 +/- 14.3, 81% male). Exploratory factor analysis extracted three factors, and 13 items were excluded from the scale. Internal consistency assessed by Cronbachs alpha was acceptable for the total scale (alpha = 0.80) and the three subscales: Factor 1: Monitoring (alpha = 0.81), Factor 2: Heart failure self-care (alpha = 0.67), and Factor 3: LVAD self-care (alpha = 0.63). The 20-item version of the LVAD self-care behaviour scale had sufficient convergent validity with another scale that assessed self-care related to the driveline of LVAD (r = 0.47, p<0.001). Test-retest reliability was adequate (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.58). ConclusionsThe 20-item version of the LVAD self-care behaviour scale showed adequate validity and reliability. The scale is ready for use in clinical practice and research. Additional testing might further optimise the scale.
Funding Agencies|Japan Society for the Promotion Science KAKENHI [JP15K20693]