Development and evaluation of a caregiver checklist for primary care.

Abstract

Introduction: Family caregivers serve vital functions in older adults' health care, but their own needs are not systematically assessed in routine care delivery. The present study employed a user-centered approach to develop and evaluate a pragmatic checklist to support proactive identification and discussion of caregivers' concerns in primary care.

Method: Checklist development proceeded according to a preestablished methodology involving domain identification, item generation, overall construction, and revision. The checklist subsequently underwent formal evaluation by 25 subject matter experts (SMEs), including primary care clinicians, family caregivers, and health services researchers who assessed the checklist's content validity and appraised its overall utility, ease of use, and mode of administration.

Results: The checklist showed excellent content validity. None of the items were found to be superfluous, indicating that the checklist covered relevant content domains. Subject matter experts reported that the checklist was easy to use, just the right length, and would be helpful in identifying and prompting a discussion about caregivers' needs. Their preferences regarding how the checklist should be administered were variable. Minor revisions to the checklist focused on enhancing its applicability to caregivers from low- and middle-income families and those from underrepresented backgrounds.

Discussion: Results indicate that the checklist is an appropriate tool for identifying caregivers' needs and concerns. Findings lay the groundwork for pilot testing in primary care to confirm the checklist's clinical feasibility and evaluate its preliminary impact on family-centered care quality and outcomes for primary care clinics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).