MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION DISTRACTION OBSERVATION SHEET CHECKLIST: CULTURAL ADAPTATION AND VALIDATION INTO SPANISH

Abstract

Introduction. Distractions are sensory inputs that exceed the individual's attention threshold, which is why they have been associated with procedural failures and clinical errors in care practice. Objective. To adapt and validate the “Observation Sheet for Distractions in the Administration of Medication” to the Colombian context. Materials and methods. The study followed a quantitative, cross-sectional, and methodological approach that included the cultural adaptation and validation of both the appearance and the content of an instrument measuring two attributes of the concept of distractions—namely, origin and frequency—with the input of five experts on the topic. Inter-observer reliability was determined through the kappa coefficient, and internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha coefficient in the statistical package SPSS v22. Results. Once adapted and validated to Colombian Spanish, the checklist kept all of the original items of the instrument, with a content validity ratio and index of 1, an inter-observer reliability between 0.82 and 1.00 (substantial agreement), and a Cronbach's alpha of 0.54 (acceptable). Conclusions. Few studies admit to using the instrument as the author proposes; some draw inspiration from it to create their own instruments, while others use it but do not report its validation. Only three studies, including this one, report psychometric analyses performed on the instrument with minor changes after its execution. The instrument can be applied to clinical nursing practice in Colombia; in the future, it is recommended to include new attributes of the concept.