The development and psychometric testing of Inpatients' Involvement in Medication Safety Scale (IIMSS).

Abstract

To develop and test the psychometric characteristics of the Inpatients' Involvement in Medication Safety Scale. Medication safety is the third biggest challenge threatening patient safety. Patient involvement in medication safety management is essential, and however, few tools have been developed to assess the related process. The scale was formulated through literature review, semi-structured interviews and Delphi expert consultation. A group of 461 inpatients from a tertiary hospital were selected to examine the reliability and validity of the scale. The scale consisted of three dimensions and 23 items. Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.916 for the total scale and was 0.777-0.858 for three subscales; the test-retest reliability was 0.742 for the total scale. The content validity was 0.957, and the item content validity ranged from 0.833 to 1.000. The cumulative variance contribution of three selected factors was 51.19%. The Inpatients' Involvement in Medication Safety Scale has good reliability and validity and can be used to evaluate inpatients' involvement in medication safety. The scale provides theoretical reference for clinical nursing safety management, as well as helps nurses to provide targeted medication care for patients and their families.