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 Development of a palliative approach in residential care outcome scale

Chief Investigator(s):
Dr Deborah Parker
NHMRC Postdoctoral Fellow
UQ/Blue Care Research & Practice Development Centre
 
 
 
 
Funded By:
National Health and Medical Research Council
 
 
 
 
 
Project Commencement Date:
January 2008
 
 
 
 
Duration of Project:
2 years
 
 
The project seeks to develop and undertake psychometric testing of a scale suitable to measure outcomes for residents in residential aged care facilities for whom a palliative approach is appropriate and has been provided. The project will include a Joanna Briggs Institute systematic review of existing outcome measures in palliative care with emphasis on their use in residential aged care facilities.
 
This research will occur in two phases. The first phase will be scale development and the second will be the initial validation study in a sample of Blue Care RACFs.
 
Phase 1 – Scale development
 
1.       Conduct a systematic review of outcome measures appropriate for use in RACFs to reflect a palliative approach to care for residents and their families.
2.       From the systematic review and Palliative guidelines identify items for inclusion in the scale.
3.      Using an expert Australian and international panel review the items chosen for inclusion to establish content and consensus validity of the draft scale.
 
Phase 2 – Validation study
 
The validation study will occur in a sample of RACFs owned by Blue Care and include metropolitan and rural facilities. Exact sample size will be calculated based on the number of items in the scale. The validation study will establish:
 
1.       Face validity with RACFs staff, residents and carers
2.     Construct validity by comparing with another outcome measure (to be established from systematic review)
3.       Internal consistency of the scale
4.       Test-retest and inter-rater reliability
 

 
Chief Investigator(s):
Dr Deborah Parker
NHMRC Postdoctoral Fellow
UQ/Blue Care Research & Practice Development Centre
 
 
 
 
Funded By:
National Health and Medical Research Council
 
 
 
 
 
Project Commencement Date:
January 2008
 
 
 
 
Duration of Project:
2 years