Slovenian Version Research Articles

Validation of the Oxford Knee Score and Lower Extremity Functional Score questionnaires for use in Slovenia.

With the increasing prevalence of total knee replacement (TKR) due to knee osteoarthritis, the absence of patient-reported outcome measures in Slovenia must be addressed. (1) We cross-culturally adapted Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) questionnaires to the Slovenian-speaking community. (2) We evaluated OKS and LEFS psychometric characteristics. In the first assessment (Time 1) Slovenian versions of both questionnaires (OKS-Slo and LEFS-Slo), knee pain, timed-up to go (TUG) and sit to stand (STS) tests were completed by 123 subjects (55% females), of which 78 were patients scheduled for TKR and 45 were healthy age-matched controls. The questionnaires were assessed one week apart (Time 2) to investigate the test-retest reliability, with 121 subjects (98.4%) completing second measurements. Significant differences were observed between the two groups. Where patients had greater body mass index, they were slower in TUG, weaker in STS, had greater knee pain in both knees and scored lower on both questionnaires. Additionally, correlation analysis showed that OKS-Slo and LEFS-Slo correlated almost perfectly (correlation coefficient [CC] = .968, p < 0.001). Excellent negative correlations were observed with TUG (OKS-Slo/CC = -0.679, p < 0.001; LEFS-Slo/CC = -0.692, p < 0.001) and STS (OKS-Slo/CC = 0.790, p < 0.001; LEFS-Slo/CC = 0.815, p < 0.001) tests, while knee pain of affected leg correlated the most (OKS-Slo/CC = -0.923, p < 0.001; LEFS-Slo/CC = -0.915, p < 0.001). The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for both the OKS-Slo and LEFS-Slo ranged between 0.87 and 0.99, while the interclass correlation coefficient was excellent; i.e., 0.99. Finally, both questionnaires proved to be unidimensional measures. The Slovenian version of both questionnaires is feasible, valid and reliable for use in clinical studies including the older adult population in Slovenia. Level III, Diagnostic-case-control study.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Slovenian version of the Core outcome measures index for low back pain

BackgroundTo conduct a cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Core Outcome Measures Index (COMI) in the Slovenian language, for use in patients with low back pain.MethodsThe English version of COMI was translated into Slovene following established guidelines. Three hundred fifty-three patients with chronic low back pain were recruited from the Orthopedic clinic department of a tertiary care teaching institution. Data quality, construct validity, responsiveness, and test-retest reliability of the COMI were assessed.ResultsThe questionnaire was generally well accepted with no missing values. The majority of items exhibited only mild ceiling effects (below 20.0%) and somewhat more prominent floor effects, which were similar to previous studies (4.5–78.8%). Correlations with Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were high (ρ = 0.76 between overall COMI and ODI scores), suggesting that the Slovene version of COMI had high construct validity. Additionally, the Slovene version of COMI successfully captured surgical patients’ improvement in their low back problem after surgery (overall COMI score change: Z = − 9.34, p < .001, r = − 0.53) and showed acceptable test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.86).ConclusionsThe Slovene version of COMI showed good psychometric properties, comparable to those of previously tested language versions. It represents a valuable instrument for the use in future domestic and multicenter clinical studies.

The validity of the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) for the screening of vascular cognitive impairment after ischemic stroke.

Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is a common feature of vascular brain lesions. The heterogeneity of clinical presentation after a stroke makes it challenging to find. However, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA) may be suitable for such purpose. Aim of the present study was to validate the Slovenian version of MoCA for detecting cognitive impairment after ischemic stroke. Seventy patients up to three months after ischemic stroke and 69 age-matched healthy control were included. All performed the MoCA and Hachinski Ischemic Scale (HIS). Cut-off value, sensitivity, specificity and likelihood ratio of MoCA were calculated with the receiver operating characteristic curve. Mean age of healthy controls was 67.1 (SD 9.2)years, mean MoCA was 25.8 (SD 2.6) points, and mean HIS was [1.9 (SD 1.5). There were no age differences between healthy controls and patients [70.4 (SD 10.9)years]. However, patients performed significantly worse on MoCA [mean 18.7 (SD 6.3) points) and had higher HIS score (7.6 (SD 0.3) points]. Optimal cut-off values for MoCA were 24/25 points. The area under the curve was 0.86, sensitivity was 81%, and specificity was 70%. A negative correlation was found between MoCA and education and age. Our results demonstrate that an optimal cut-off for screening for VCI in the Slovenian population is 24/25 points on MoCA, which is similar to other studies performed on patients with different cultural background. The test is easy to perform and could be used in daily clinical practice.

Safety Culture at Primary Healthcare Level: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Employees with a Leadership Role.

IntroductionAn effective leadership is critical to the development of a safety culture within an organization. With this study, the authors wanted to assess the self-perceived level of safety culture among the employees with a leadership function in the Ljubljana Community Health Centre.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study in the largest community health centre in Slovenia. We sent an invitation to all employees with a leadership role (N=211). The Slovenian version of the SAQ – Short Form as a measurement of a safety culture was used. The data on demographic characteristics (gender, age, role, work experience, working hours, and location of work) were also collected. An electronic survey was used.ResultsThe final sample consisted of 154 (69.7%) participants, out of which 136 (88.3%) were women. The mean age and standard deviation of the sample was 46.2±10.5 years. The average scores for the safety culture domains on a scale from 1 to 5 were 4.1±0.6 for Teamwork Climate, Safety Climate, and Working Conditions and Satisfaction, 3.7±0.5 for Perception of Management, 3.6±0.4 for Communication, and 3.5±0.6 for Stress Recognition.ConclusionThe safety culture among leaders in primary healthcare organizations in Slovenia is perceived as positive. There is also a strong organizational culture. Certain improvements are needed, especially in the field of communication and stress recognition with regards to safety culture.

Validation of The Slovenian Version of the Low Anterior Resection Syndrome Score for Rectal Cancer Patients after Surgery.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to translate the low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) score into Slovenian and to test its validity on Slovenian patients who underwent low anterior rectal resection.MethodsThe LARS score was translated from English into Slovenian and then back-translated following international recommendations. The Slovenian version of the LARS questionnaire was completed by patients who underwent low anterior rectal resection between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2010 at the University Medical Centre Ljubljana. An anchor question assessing the impact of bowel function on lifestyle was included. To assess test-retest reliability, some of the patients answered the LARS score questionnaire twice.ResultsA total of 100 patients (66.7%) of the 150 patients who were contacted for participation, were included in the final analysis. A total of 58 patients reported major LARS score. The LARS score was able to discriminate between patients who received radiotherapy and those who did not (p<0.001), and between total and partial mesorectal excision (p<0.001). Age was not associated with a greater LARS score (p=0.975). There was a perfect fit between the QoL category question and the LARS score in 66.0% of cases and a moderate fit was found in 24.0% of the cases, showing good convergent validity. Test-retest reliability of 51 patients showed a high intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.86.ConclusionsThe Slovenian translation of the LARS score is a valid tool for measuring LARS.

Comparison of Self-Reported Sedentary Time on Weekdays with an Objective Measure (activPAL)

ABSTRACTSelf-reports are commonly used tools for obtaining sedentary behaviors. The aim of our study was to assess agreement between two self-reports of sedentary time and a gold standard sedentary time objective monitor. A worksite sample (n = 42) completed the Slovenian version of the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ), the Slovenian version of the Sedentary Behaviour Questionnaire (SBQ for weekdays) and wore an objective physical activity monitor (activPAL) for up to five consecutive working days. Results revealed that GPAQ and SBQ consistently underestimated the total sedentary time, with the mean bias of −165 min/day and −181 min/day, respectably. Wide limits of agreement showed poor precision and intraclass correlation revealed a low level of agreement. GPAQ and SBQ are not recommended to be used in studies seeking for relationships with health outcomes, nor in studies where detecting the behavioral change is of interest. Objective measurement should be the preferred choice when possible.

Estimation of the Ecological Fallacy in the Geographical Analysis of the Association of Socio-Economic Deprivation and Cancer Incidence.

Ecological deprivation indices at the level of spatial units are often used to measure and monitor inequalities in health despite the possibility of ecological fallacy. For the purpose of this study, the European Deprivation Index (EDI) was used, which is based on Townsend theorization of relative deprivation. The Slovenian version of EDI (SI-EDI) at the aggregated level (SI-EDI-A) was calculated to the level of the national assembly polling stations. The SI-EDI was also calculated at the individual level (SI-EDI-I) by the method that represents a methodological innovation. The degree of ecological fallacy was estimated with the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curves. By calculating the area under the ROC curve, the ecological fallacy was evaluated numerically. Agreement between measuring deprivation with SI-EDI-A and SI-EDI-I was analysed by graphical methods and formal testing. The association of the socio-economic status and the cancer risk was analysed in all first cancer cases diagnosed in Slovenia at age 16 and older in the period 2011–2013. Analysis was done for each level separately, for SI-EDI-I and for SI-EDI-A. The Poisson regression model was implemented in both settings but adapted specifically for aggregated and individual data. The study clearly shows that ecological fallacy is unavoidable. However, although the association of cancer incidence and socio-economic deprivation at individual and aggregated levels was not the same for all cancer sites, the results were very similar for the majority of investigated cancer sites and especially for cancers associated with unhealthy lifestyles. The results confirm the assumptions from authors’ previous research that using the level of the national assembly polling stations would be the acceptable way to aggregate data when explaining inequalities in health in Slovenia in ecological studies.

Validation of the Slovenian Version of Short Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (SOC-13) in Multiple Sclerosis Patients.

AimTo validate the Slovenian version (SOC-13-SVN) of Sense of Coherence 13-item instrument (SOC-13) in Slovenian multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.MethodsA consecutive 134 Slovenian MS patients were enrolled in a cross-sectional study in 2013. The reliability of the SOC-13-SVN was assessed for internal consistency by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α), dimensionality by the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and criterion validity by Pearson correlation coefficient (r) between SOC-13-SVN global score and MSQOL-54 composite scores – Mental Health Composite score (MHC) and Physical Health Composite score (PHC).ResultsFor the SOC-13-SVN instrument as a whole, internal consistency was high (αtotal=0.88) while it was low for three subscales (αcomprehensibility=0.79; αmanageability=0.66; αmeaningfulness=0.69). The results of the CFA confirmed a three-factor structure with good fit (RMSEA=0.059, CFI=0.953, SRMR=0.065), however, the correlations between the factors were very high (rcomprehensibility/manageability=0.938; rcomprehensibility/meaningfulness=0.811; rmanageability/meaningfulness=0.930). The criterion validity analysis showed a moderate positive strength of relationship between SOC-13-SVN global score and both MSQOL-54 composite scores (MHC: r=0.597, p<0.001; PHC: r=0.437, p<0.001).ConclusionAnalysis of some psychometric properties confirmed that this instrument is a reliable and valid tool for use in Slovenian MS patients. Despite the three-dimensional structure of the instrument, the use of the global summary score is encouraged due to the low reliability of the subscale scores and high correlations between them.

Psychometric properties of the Slovenian long and short version of the self-compassion scale

The Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) is a widely used instrument for measuring selfcompassion. In this study we examined psychometric properties of the SCS long and short form in a Slovenian community sample (N = 442). The total score reliability was satisfactory both in the long form (? = .91) and short form (? = .81). The reliability of subscales in the long form was between .66 and .84, and relatively low in the short form (from .45 to .72). We performed a confirmatory factor analysis and examined a one factor, a two factor a six-factor correlated model, a higher order model, and a bi-factor model. The six-factor and bi-factor models showed the best fit for the SCS-LF, and the six-factor model was the only acceptable fit for the SCS-SF. The correlation between the long and the short form is very high (r = .96). The SCS correlates in a predictable way with satisfaction with life, well-being, and attachment styles. We concluded that Slovenian versions of both the long and the short form of the SCS have generally from acceptable to good psychometric properties. Results supported the use of both the total score and subscale scores of SCS-LF. The short version of the SCS can be used as a good and economical alternative when the aim is to use the total score.

Safety culture in the primary health care settings based on workers with a leadership role: the psychometric properties of the Slovenian-language version of the safety attitudes questionnaire \u2013 short form

BackgroundSafety culture describes leader and staff interactions, attitudes, routines, awareness, and practices within an organisation. With this study, we aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Slovenian-language version of the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ) – Short Form in primary health care settings.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study in the largest primary health care in Slovenia. We invited all employees with a leadership role to participate in the study (N = 211). We used the Slovenian-language version of the SAQ – Short Form.ResultsThere were 154 participants in the final sample (73.0% response rate), of which 136 (88.3%) were women. The mean age of the sample was 46.2 ± 10.0 years. Exploratory factor analysis put forward six factors: 1) Perceptions of Management; 2) Stress recognition; 3) Teamwork Climate; 4) Communication; 5) Safety Climate; 6) Working Conditions and Satisfaction. This model explained 61.7% of the variance of the safety culture in the primary health care setting. The reliability of the whole scale and of the six factors, assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, was all above 0.78.ConclusionThe results of our study suggests that the Slovenian-language version of the SAQ – Short Form with six factors could be a reliable and valid tool for measuring the safety culture in the primary health care workers with leadership role In Slovenia. The Slovenian version differed from the original SAQ – Short Form and the majority of other translated versions. Also, the data was from one health centre only and therefore we cannot draw strong conclusions on its external validity.

Validation of the Slovenian Version of Motor Imagery Questionnaire 3 (MIQ-3): Promising Tool in Modern Comprehensive Rehabilitation Practice.

PurposeThe high rate of injury incidence and its severity is estimated to cause approximately 9% of global mortality, while a large proportion of people surviving their injuries experience temporary or permanent disabilities. To reduce the occurrence of disability and improve general health of survivors, a more comprehensive rehabilitation approach is needed. Motor imagery is recognized as the promising cognitive strategy to counteract impaired functional capacity of the neuromuscular system. Thus, we aimed to provide to the Slovenian-speaking community a valid and reliable version of Motor Imagery Questionnaire – 3 [MIQ-3], that consists of kinaesthetic imagery [KI] and visual [i.e., Internal Imagery [IMI] and external imagery [EVI]] items.MethodsWe investigated both absolute and relative test-retest repeatability; construct validity and internal consistency of the KI, IMI and EMI items of the Slovenian version of MIQ-3 in 86 healthy adult subjects.ResultsResults showed high to very high average intra-class correlation coefficient [ICC] for the visual items [ICC=0.89] and KI items [ICC=0.92], whilst the measure of absolute variability presented as coefficient of variation [CV%] ranged from 4.9% [EVI] to 6.7% [KI]. The internal consistency was satisfactory [Cronbach α=0.91 [KI] and 0.89]) for both visual items. Confirmatory analysis confirmed a two-factorial structure of MIQ-3.ConclusionUnderstanding the content of the questionnaire is of utmost importance to ensure its effectiveness in rehabilitation practice. The Slovenian translation of the MIQ-3 is culturally and linguistically equivalent to the original English version.

Empathy and Burnout in Slovenian Family Medicine Doctors: The First Presentation of Jefferson Scale of Empathy Results.

BackgroundStudy aimed to assess the burnout prevalence and level of empathic attitude in family medicine doctors (FMDs) and its associations with demographic factors, working conditions and physician health, using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy – Health Professional version (JSE-HP).MethodsSlovenian FMDs (n=316, response rate 56%) completed an online socio-demographic questionnaire, with questions on working conditions, physician health, and the Slovenian versions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the JSE-HP. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used, applying linear regression to calculate associations between demographic variables, factors of empathy and burnout dimensions, P<0.05 was set as a limit of statistical significance.ResultsOf the 316 participants, aged 40±10.2 years, 57 (18%) were men. The FMDs achieved mean scores on the JSE-HP (JSEtot of 112.8±10.2 and on the MBI 27.8±11.6 for EE, 10.8±5.5 for D and 33.5±6.0 for PA. High burnout was reported in one dimension by 24.8% of participants, in two by 17.2%, and by 6% in all three dimensions. Multivariate analysis revealed a higher EE and D and lower PA in specialists as opposed to trainees. Higher EE was also identified in older physicians having longer work experience, working in a rural setting, dealing with more than 40 patients/day and having a chronic illness. The latter was also associated with higher JSEtot. JSEtot was negatively associated with D, while PA was positively associated with JSEtot and Perspective Taking.ConclusionThe incidence of burnout warns both physicians and decision-makers against too heavy workload, especially in older professionals.

Slovenian Version of The European Deprivation Index at Municipal Level.

IntroductionEcological deprivation indices belong to essential instruments for monitoring and understanding health inequalities. Our aim was to develop the SI-EDI, a newly derived European Deprivation Index for Slovenia. We intend to provide researchers and policy-makers in our country with a relevant tool for measuring and reducing the socioeconomic inequalities in health, and even at a broader level.MethodsData from the European survey on Income and Living Conditions and Slovenian national census for the year 2011 were used in the SI-EDI construction. The concept of relative deprivation was used where deprivation refers to unmet need(s), which is caused by lack of all kinds of resources, not only material. The SI-EDI was constructed for 210 Slovenian municipalities. Its geographical distribution was compared to the distribution of two existing deprivation scores previously applied in health inequality research in Slovenia.ResultsThere were 36% of adults recognized as deprived in Slovenia in 2011. SI-EDI was calculated using 10 census variables that were associated with individual deprivation. A clear east-to-west gradient was detected with the most deprived municipalities in the eastern part of the country. The two existing deprivation scores correlate significantly with the SI-EDI.ConclusionsA new deprivation index, the SI-EDI, is grounded on the internationally established scientific concept, can be replicated over time and, crucially, provides an account of the socioeconomic and cultural particularities of the Slovenian population. The SI-EDI could be used by the stakeholders and the governmental and nongovernmental sectors in Slovenia, with the goal of better understanding health inequalities in Slovenia.

Women's satisfaction with the childbirth experience: a descriptive research

Introduction: Satisfaction is a complex concept, which we often come across when evaluating the childbirth experience. The purpose of the research was to find out the childbirth experiences of women in Slovenia with regard to their level of satisfaction with the provided perinatal care. Methods: The Slovenian version of the Birth Satisfaction Scale – Revised was used in a non-experimental quantitative descriptive research (Cronbach α = 0.81). The data were collected through an online questionnaire in February 2017. Convenience sampling was used and 301 women, who gave birth in 2016 in Slovenia, participated. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics, the Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman's correlation coefficient. Results: The results of the study have shown that the number of births (U = 6802, p = 0.150), education (U = 7493, p = 0.317), age (U = 5142, p = 0.061) and presence of birth partner (U = 2841, p = 0.730) are not statistically significantly correlated with the assessment of childbirth satisfaction. A lower level of satisfaction was also found in cases of caesarean sections of primiparous, in comparison with multiparous, women (U = 430, p = 0.001). A statistically significant difference was established in the correlation between satisfaction and respondents' residential environment (U = 7029, p = 0.039), professional communication, and level of anxiousness of birthing mothers (rs = 0.397, p = 0,000). Discussion and conclusion: The results have shown that healthcare professionals who are present in childbirth are the key factor in contributing to a positive birth experience. The obtained results open up an opportunity for further research on the communication and attitude of health professionals towards birthing mothers.

Variations in patient safety climate and perceived quality of collaboration between professions in out-of-hours care.

PurposeTo get an overview of health care workers perceptions of patient safety climates and the quality of collaboration in Slovenian out-of-hours health care (OOHC) between professional groups.Materials and methodsThis was a cross-sectional study carried out in all (60) Slovenian OOHC clinics; 37 (61.7%) agreed to participate with 438 employees. The questionnaire consisted of the Slovenian version of the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire – Ambulatory Version (SAQ-AV).ResultsThe study sample consisted of 175 (70.0%) physicians, nurse practitioners, and practice nurses. Practice nurses reported the highest patient safety climate scores in all dimensions. Total mean (standard deviation) SAQ-AV score was 60.9±15.2. Scores for quality of collaboration between different professional groups were high. The highest mean scores were reported by nurse practitioners on collaboration with practice nurses (4.4±0.6). The lowest mean scores were reported by practice nurses on collaboration with nurse practitioners (3.8±0.9).ConclusionDue to large variations in Slovenian OOHC clinics with regard to how health care workers from different professional backgrounds perceive safety culture, more attention should be devoted to improving the team collaboration in OOHC. A clearer description of professional team roles should be provided.

Validation of The Slovenian Version of Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life (MSQOL-54) Instrument.

PurposeTo cross-culturally adapt and validate Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 (MSQOL-54) instrument.MethodsThe study which enrolled 134 Slovenian multiple sclerosis (MS) patients was conducted from March to December 2013. The internal consistency of the MSQOL-54 instrument was evaluated by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α), and its dimensionality assessed by the principal component analysis (PCA).ResultsThe whole instrument had high internal consistency (α=0.88), as well as the majority of its twelve subscales (α=0.83-0.94). The results of the PCA showed two components with eigenvalue greater than 1, explaining 59.4% of the cumulative variance. Further results indicated good construct validity of the instrument with the physical health-related-quality-of-life subscales loading highly on the physical component, and mental health-related-quality-of-life subscales loading highly on the mental component.ConclusionThe Slovenian version of the MSQOL-54 instrument proved to be an internally consistent and accurate tool, well accepted by the Slovenian MS patients. The adequate psychometric properties warrant the scientifically sound version of the MSQOL-54 instrument, which is from now on at disposal to all health professionals dealing with MS patients in Slovenia.

Patient Safety Culture in Slovenian out-of-hours Primary Care Clinics.

IntroductionPatient safety culture is a concept which describes how leader and staff interaction, attitudes, routines and practices protect patients from adverse events in healthcare. We aimed to investigate patient safety culture in Slovenian out-of-hours health care (OOHC) clinics, and determine the possible factors that might be associated with it.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study, which took place in Slovenian OOHC, as part of the international study entitled Patient Safety Culture in European Out-of-Hours Services (SAFE-EUR-OOH). All the OOHC clinics in Slovenia (N=60) were invited to participate, and 37 agreed to do so; 438 employees from these clinics were invited to participate. We used the Slovenian version of the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire – an ambulatory version (SAQAV) to measure the climate of safety.ResultsOut of 438 invited participants, 250 answered the questionnaire (57.1% response rate). The mean overall score ± standard deviation of the SAQ was 56.6±16.0 points, of Perceptions of Management 53.6±19.6 points, of Job Satisfaction 48.5±18.3 points, of Safety Climate 59.1±22.1 points, of Teamwork Climate 72.7±16.6, and of Communication 51.5±23.4 points. Employees working in the Ravne na Koroškem region, employees with variable work shifts, and those with full-time jobs scored significantly higher on the SAQ-AV.ConclusionThe safety culture in Slovenian OOHC clinics needs improvement. The variations in the safety culture factor scores in Slovenian OOHC clinics point to the need to eliminate variations and improve working conditions in Slovenian OOHC clinics.

Model-based validation of the Slovenian 20-item version of the Measure of Processes of Care

Rationale and aims: The Measure of Processes of Care (MPOC-20) is a self-administered questionnaire for parents of chronically ill or disabled children to report on their experiences of the care process. The aim of this study was to investigate the construct validity of the Slovenian adaptation of MPOC-20. Method: One hundred and seventy-four parents of children with a chronic illness/disability, treated at 7 public healthcare institutions in Slovenia, completed MPOC-20 and a questionnaire about their child, themselves and their family. Results: The slightly modified measurement model fitted well to the data. The model was then extended into a structural regression model, which included several predictors of MPOC-20 latent factors. The child’s gender and the presence of a key worker emerged as the most relevant predictors. Conclusions: We propose a small change in the scoring of MPOC-20. The presence of a key worker improves the parents’ evaluation of the processes of care for their child.

Psychometric testing of the Slovenian Person-centred Climate Questionnaire - staff version.

To test the psychometric properties of the Slovenian version of the Person-centred Climate Questionnaire - staff version. Person-centredness can be a quality care indicator, but there are no valid and reliable instruments in the Slovene language aimed at exploring the person-centred care climate from a nursing staff perspective. Content validity based on expert agreement was evaluated by calculating content validity indices. A cross-sectional survey design using a convenience sample of 790 nurses and nursing assistants from medical and surgical wards in 11 hospitals was used to test the construct validity and internal consistency reliability. The average content validity index for the scale was 0.97, all items had content validity indices higher than 0.78, showing satisfactory content validity. Three components, climate of safety, community and everydayness explained 71.22% of the variance in the data and thus confirmed scale dimensionality. Cronbach's α was acceptable for whole scale (0.90) and for subscales (0.89, 0.89 and 0.86). The Slovene version of the Person-centred Climate Questionnaire - staff version is valid and reliable and can be further used in surgical and medical wards in hospital settings. The instrument enables further exploration of the relationships between perceived person-centredness and organisational outcomes.

Psychometric evaluation of the Slovenian translation of the Circumstances, Motivation and Readiness Scales

IntroductionAccording to the available data, treatment motivation and readiness are closely linked to retention. There are instruments for measuring the stages of motivation and readiness, and predicting treatment retention and outcome.AimThis study describes psychometric properties, while focusing on the reliability of the Slovenian version of the Circumstances, Motivation and Readiness (CMR) scales.MethodsWe included 109 male and female patients with opioid addiction at the Centre for Treatment of Drug Addiction, Ljubljana. The CMR was translated into Slovenian by using the “forward-backward” procedure by our team and its author. Data analysis addressed psychometric properties of the CMR. Internal consistency was examined by applying exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, while reliability was examined with Cronbach's coefficient alpha.ResultsCronbach alpha coefficients of reliability were calculated for each of the three CMR subscales and for the total score. The total alpha was 0.842. Alpha for Motivation was 0.860, for Circumstances 0.372 and for Readiness 0.818. Exploratory factor analysis extracted a 3-factor solution with 56% explained total variance. The factors do not provide an exact match with the dimensions C, M and R.ConclusionOn the basis of these results we can conclude that the Slovenian translation of the CMR is a valid instrument for evaluating patients’ motivation and readiness for treatment.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.