title: Measuring staff perception of end-of-life experience of older adults in long-term care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Quality of dying and death receive far less attention than quality of life. Measuring the quality of care at end-of-life (EOL) in long-term care (LTC) is essential, to ensure high standards.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire measuring staff perception of their patient's end of life experience (SPELE) was developed. Content validity (CVI) was assessed by a panel of experts, and piloting was conducted with dyads of healthcare assistants (n=15) and nurses (n=15).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SPELE captures facets of the quality of the death and dying experience from healthcare staff's perspective. Good group inter-rater reliability was observed among subscales. One exception was the pain and symptom experience scale. Kappa values showed little agreement between nurses and healthcare assistants for certain symptoms, including pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further testing of the questionnaire is required. However it is described as a useful mechanism to enable researchers and clinicians to explore quality of care at EOL.
authors.affiliation: Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Centre for Gerontology and Rehabilitation, University College Cork, St Finbarrs` Hospital, Cork City, Ireland. Electronic address: n.cornally@ucc.ie.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cornally
authors.affiliation: Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coffey
authors.affiliation: Centre for Gerontology and Rehabilitation, University College Cork, St Finbarrs` Hospital, Cork City, Ireland.
authors.forename: Edel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Daly
authors.affiliation: Centre for Gerontology and Rehabilitation, University College Cork, St Finbarrs` Hospital, Cork City, Ireland.
authors.forename: Ciara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McGlade
authors.affiliation: Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Weathers
authors.affiliation: Centre for Gerontology and Rehabilitation, University College Cork, St Finbarrs` Hospital, Cork City, Ireland.
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: O'Herlihy
authors.affiliation: Centre for Gerontology and Rehabilitation, University College Cork, St Finbarrs` Hospital, Cork City, Ireland.
authors.forename: Rónán
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: O'Caoimh
authors.affiliation: Centre for Gerontology and Rehabilitation, University College Cork, St Finbarrs` Hospital, Cork City, Ireland.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McLoughlin
authors.affiliation: UZIK Consulting, 86 Gerrard St E, Unit 12D, Toronto, ON M5B 2J1, Canada.
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Svendrovski
authors.affiliation: Centre for Gerontology and Rehabilitation, University College Cork, St Finbarrs` Hospital, Cork City, Ireland.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Molloy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes; D013727:Terminal Care
keywords: Dying and death; End of life; Long-term care; Older adults; Quality of care; Questionnaire design