Revision and Application of the Simplified Chinese Version of the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory in the Emergency Department.

Abstract

Introduction: The family members of patients are an important part of a patient's social support system. The needs of the family members of patients are critical factors that medical staff need to consider when formulating treatment plans. This study aimed to culturally adjust the traditional Chinese version of the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory in the Emergency Department to the simplified Chinese version for use with families in the emergency department of mainland China, test its reliability and validity, understand the needs and factors influencing scores, and to provide a reference for promoting patient and family-centered care.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect data from family members of a tertiary hospital in northeast China. This study consisted of 2 phases. Phase Ⅰ: 258 questionnaires were collected in the scale revision phase for the assessment of construct validity using exploratory factor analysis. In addition, internal consistency reliability and content validity were used to evaluate the psychometric characteristics. Phase Ⅱ: 297 family members were recruited in the cross-sectional survey phase. The data were collected through the simplified Chinese version of Critical Care Family Needs Inventory in the Emergency Department and analyzed with SPSS 26.0 Statistics software.

Results: In the scale revision phase of the study, the content validity index was 0.92, and the total Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.87. In the cross-sectional survey phase, the mean score of family members' needs was 109.2 ± 9.8 (95%CI 108.1, 110.4). Age (P = .019), residential address (P = .001), income (P = .004), and triage category (P = .001) are independent factors influencing total scores.

Discussion: Our findings suggested that the Simplified Chinese version of Critical Care Family Needs Inventory in the Emergency Department is a valid and reliable scale for use within mainland China. The needs of family members are at a high level. Hence, emergency nurses need to acquire more knowledge about family needs to better consider and address their needs.