Polish adaptation and validation of a family appraisal of caregiving questionnaire for palliative care (FACQ-PC)

Abstract

Increasing numbers of people are taking on the role of informal caregivers of oncology patients in the advanced stages of the disease. The outcomes of such a decision are both positive (e.g. strengthening of bonds) and negative (e.g. strain). Their assessment is necessary to customise appropriate interventions for caregivers and is made possible by the FACQ-PC (multi-dimensional Family Appraisal of Caregiving Questionnaire for Palliative Care) – a tool used to assess the functioning of informal caregivers of patients receiving home-based palliative care. The aim of this study was to determine the psychometric properties of the Polish adaptation of the FACQ-PC. The study involved 150 informal caregivers of patients receiving palliative care at home, including 106 women and 44 men aged between 22 and 77 years. Study participants completed the Polish version of the FACQ-PC and a series of questionnaires measuring positive and negative feelings (SUPIN), stress (PSS-10) and satisfaction with family life (SOR- H). The study did not confirm the four-factor structure of the questionnaire; instead, a three-factor structure was found to be more appropriate. The following factors were determined: negative outcomes, positive caregiving appraisals and family well-being. Based on a validation review, the high reliability of the individual scales was established, and internal relevance was confirmed. FACQ-PC-PL was adopted as the abbreviated name of the tool. This tool can be used in scientific research and for initial assessments conducted in a clinical setting.