title: Development and validation of the Liverpool infant bronchiolitis severity score: a research protocol.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop and validate a bronchiolitis severity scoring instrument for use by nurses and other healthcare professions.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Bronchiolitis is a viral lower respiratory tract infection of infancy. In industrialized countries, admission rates have increased over the last decade with up to 3% of all infants born being admitted to hospital. A small number of these hospitalized infants will require admission to critical care for either invasive or non-invasive ventilation. During the seasonal epidemic, the number of unplanned admissions to critical care with bronchiolitis substantially increases.
  
  
  METHODS
  We will use a mixed methods study design.
  
  
  METHODS
  We will use scale development and psychometric methods to develop a scoring instrument and to test the instrument for content, construct and criterion validity and reliability in several different clinical locations. This study protocol has been reviewed and approved by the NHS National Research Ethics Service, January 2011.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is an urgent need to develop a valid and reliable severity scoring instrument sensitive to clinical changes in the infant, to facilitate clinical decision-making and help standardize patient care. Furthermore, a valid and reliable scoring instrument could also be used as a proxy patient-reported outcome measure to evaluate the efficacy of clinical interventions in randomized controlled trials.
authors.affiliation: R&D, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: Clare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van Miert
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abbott
authors.forename: Francine
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Verheoff
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.forename: Bernie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McNamara
mesh_terms: D001988:Bronchiolitis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004739:England; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: bronchiolitis; child nursing; midwives; mixed-method design; nurses; nursing; psychometric testing; symptom management