title: Development and validation of the Patient Asthma Concerns Tool (PACT) to identify the needs of older people with asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tools which assist practitioners to identify patient concerns and increase understanding of their needs can improve both the delivery of care and adherence to treatment. The aim of this study was to test the validity and reliability of a 14-item tool, to identify the unmet needs and concerns of older people with asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Patient Asthma Concerns Tool (PACT) was developed from a pool of 55 items derived from a comprehensive literature review. After pilot and field testing, the initial 55 item questionnaire was administered to a community sample (n = 193), psychometrically tested, and refined to a 14 item PACT tool which was evaluated by a group of clinicians.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PACT was shown to have good content and construct validity and was well received by clinicians. The PACT also correlated well with the Juniper ACQ and Brooks' adherence score on related variables and showed good reliability with good-excellent Kappa and ICC scores. Internal consistency of factors was high, and the overall Cronbach's α was 0.70.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PACT questionnaire was shown to be a valid and reliable tool clinically and psychometrically. We intend to test it in primary care settings and anticipate that its use will assist health professionals to identify the needs and concerns of older patients with asthma and direct tailored asthma management accordingly.
authors.affiliation: CRC for Asthma and Airways, Sydney, NSW, Australia. melcrane@med.usyd.edu.au
authors.forename: Melanie A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Crane
authors.forename: Jo A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Douglass
authors.forename: Dianne P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Goeman
authors.forename: Nicole E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Cousens
authors.forename: Christine R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Jenkins
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000592:standards*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*