Abstract
BackgroundEarly identification of patients with an anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in need of highly specialized care could facilitate the selection of the optimal initial treatment in these patients. This paper describes the development and psychometric evaluation of the Decision Tool Anxiety Disorders, OCD and PTSD (DTAOP), which aims to aid clinicians in the early identification of patients with an anxiety disorder, OCD, or PTSD in need of highly specialized mental healthcare.MethodsA systematic literature review and a concept mapping procedure were carried out to inform the development of the DTAOP. To evaluate the psychometric properties of the DTAOP, a cross-sectional study in 454 patients with a DSM-IV-TR anxiety disorder was carried out. Feasibility was evaluated by the completion time and the content clarity of the DTAOP. Inter-rater reliability was assessed in a subsample of 87 patients. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients between the DTAOP and EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) scores were computed to examine the convergent validity. Criterion validity was assessed against independent clinical judgments made by clinicians.ResultsThe average time required to complete the eight-item DTAOP was 4.6 min and the total DTAOP was evaluated as clear in the majority (93%) of the evaluations. Krippendorff’s alpha estimates ranged from 0.427 to 0.839. Based on the qualitative feedback, item wording and instructions were improved. As hypothesized, the DTAOP correlated negatively with EQ-5D-5L scores. The area under the curve was 0.826 and the cut-off score of ≥4 optimized sensitivity (70%) and specificity (71%).ConclusionsThe DTAOP demonstrated excellent feasibility and good validity, but weak inter-rater reliability. Based on the qualitative feedback and reliability estimates, revisions and refinements of the wording and instructions were made, resulting in the final version of the DTAOP.
Highlights
There is compelling evidence supporting the efficacy of psychological interventions in treating anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) [1,2,3], not all patients need and benefit from the same type and intensity of intervention [4]
Systematic and standardized pre-treatment assessments that capture the severity of the anxiety disorder, OCD, or PTSD itself, and the complexity of the patient’s overall clinical picture should be used to aid clinicians in matching the intensity of treatment to the individual patient needs [12]. Recognizing this gap, we report on the development and psychometric evaluation of the Decision Tool Anxiety Disorders, OCD and PTSD (DTAOP)
In the brainstorming stage of the concept mapping procedure, 19 additional potential patient indicators were added to the indicators from the systematic review, resulting in a total of 65 indicators of patients with an anxiety disorder, OCD, or PTSD in need of highly specialized care
Summary
Identification of patients with an anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in need of highly specialized care could facilitate the selection of the optimal initial treatment in these patients. This paper describes the development and psychometric evaluation of the Decision Tool Anxiety Disorders, OCD and PTSD (DTAOP), which aims to aid clinicians in the early identification of patients with an anxiety disorder, OCD, or PTSD in need of highly specialized mental healthcare
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