title: Development and psychometric evaluation of patient needs assessment in palliative care (PNAP) instrument.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although assessment of palliative patients' needs is a key issue in palliative care, a suitable instrument for identification of such needs is not available in Central European countries. Our objectives were to produce an adequate tool for identifying the importance and satisfaction of palliative patients' needs and to verify its psychometric properties.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patient needs assessment in palliative care (PNAP) instrument was constructed based on a literature review and qualitative research (focus groups, n = 5). The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were verified by a cross-sectional study. The convergent validity of the questionnaire was determined by confirmatory factor analysis. Furthermore, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity were also tested. The qualitative research group comprised 30 participants (27 experts in palliative care, 1 patient, and 2 family members). Psychometric properties were evaluated in a group of 349 hospital inpatients terminally ill with chronic disease or cancer and receiving palliative care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on the qualitative data analysis, a questionnaire was constructed that contained 42 items grouped into 5 domains. When testing the psychometric properties of the questionnaire, a new model containing 40 items in 7 domains was produced. Cronbach's α for the entire PNAP questionnaire was 0.89 on the importance scale and 0.80 on the satisfaction scale. Test-retest reliability was higher than 0.7 for all domains in both scales.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of tests on the psychometric properties of the PNAP questionnaire showed at least satisfactory validity and reliability, and it can be employed to assess the needs of palliative care patients in Central European countries.
authors: Department of Nursing and Midwifery,Faculty of Medicine,University of Ostrava,Czech Republic.
authors: Radka
authors: R
authors: Buzgova
authors: Department of Nursing and Midwifery,Faculty of Medicine,University of Ostrava,Czech Republic.
authors: Radka
authors: R
authors: Kozakova
authors: Department of Nursing and Midwifery,Faculty of Medicine,University of Ostrava,Czech Republic.
authors: Lucie
authors: L
authors: Sikorova
authors: Department of Nursing and Midwifery,Faculty of Medicine,University of Ostrava,Czech Republic.
authors: Renata
authors: R
authors: Zelenikova
authors: Department of Nursing and Midwifery,Faculty of Medicine,University of Ostrava,Czech Republic.
authors: Darja
authors: D
authors: Jarosova
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000592:standards*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Needs assessment; Palliative care; Patients