The reliability and validity of the therapeutic activity index.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the psychometric properties of the Simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS 28) scale.


METHODS
A prospective observational design was used. Patients were recruited from a medical-surgical intensive care unit (ICU) and 4 rehabilitation wards of 2 university-affiliated hospitals in Hong Kong.


RESULTS
Data necessary for the calculation of the TISS 28, the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS 76), and severity of illness scoring system (Simplified Acute Physiology Score [SAPS II]) were recorded for each patient during the first 24 hours after his/her admission to an ICU. A significant positive correlation was found between the TISS 76 and the TISS 28 scores as well as the TISS 28 and the SAPS II scores. There was a significant difference between the TISS 28 scores among ICU patients and patients in rehabilitation wards. A significant correlation was found between the TISS 28 scores of the first and second set of TISS 28 scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the findings supported the validity and reliability of the TISS 28, there were limitations of the TISS 28 in measuring nursing workload in ICUs. Hence, continued amendment and validation of the TISS 28 on larger samples in different ICUs would be required so as to provide clinical nurses with a valid and reliable assessment of nursing workload.
Yee Kwok
Wanna Wing
WW
Intensive Care Unit, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong, China. wannakwok@hotmail.com
Chun Chau
Janita Pak
JP
Pau Le Low
Lisa
L
Thompson
David R
DR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload