Family satisfaction in the intensive care unit: cross-cultural adaptation of a questionnaire.
OBJECTIVE
Family needs and expectations are often unmet in the intensive care unit (ICU), leading to dissatisfaction. This study assesses cross-cultural adaptability of an instrument evaluating family satisfaction in the ICU.


METHODS
A Canadian instrument on family satisfaction was adapted for German language and central European culture and then validated for feasibility, validity, internal consistency, reliability, and sensitivity.


RESULTS
Content validity of a preliminary translated version was assessed by staff, patients, and next of kin. After adaptation, content and comprehensibility were considered good. The adapted translation was then distributed to 160 family members. The return rate was 71.8%, and 94.4% of questions in returned forms were clearly answered. In comparison with a Visual Analogue Scale, construct validity was good for overall satisfaction with care (Spearman rho = 0.60) and overall satisfaction with decision making (rho = 0.65). Cronbach alpha was .95 for satisfaction with care and .87 for decision-making. Only minor differences on repeated measurements were found for interrater and intrarater reliability. There was no floor or ceiling effect.


CONCLUSIONS
A cross-cultural adaptation of a questionnaire on family satisfaction in the ICU can be feasible, valid, internally consistent, reliable, and sensitive.
Stricker
Kay H
KH
Department of Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland.
Niemann
Steffen
S
Bugnon
Sophie
S
Wurz
Jeannie
J
Rohrer
Ottilia
O
Rothen
Hans U
HU
D000328:Adult; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005060:Europe; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014175:Translating