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Health and Quality of Life Outcomes
Published in: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 1/2011

Open Access 01-12-2011 | Research

Analysis of the construct of dignity and content validity of the patient dignity inventory

Authors: Gwenda Albers, H Roeline W Pasman, Mette L Rurup, Henrica CW de Vet, Bregje D Onwuteaka-Philipsen

Published in: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes | Issue 1/2011

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Abstract

Background

Maintaining dignity, the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect, is considered as a goal of palliative care. The aim of this study was to analyse the construct of personal dignity and to assess the content validity of the Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI) in people with an advance directive in the Netherlands.

Methods

Data were collected within the framework of an advance directives cohort study. This cohort study is aiming to get a better insight into how decisions are made at the end of life with regard to advance directives in the Netherlands. One half of the cohort (n = 2404) received an open-ended question concerning factors relevant to dignity. Content labels were assigned to issues mentioned in the responses to the open-ended question. The other half of the cohort (n = 2537) received a written questionnaire including the PDI. The relevance and comprehensiveness of the PDI items were assessed with the COSMIN checklist ('COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments').

Results

The majority of the PDI items were found to be relevant for the construct to be measured, the study population, and the purpose of the study but the items were not completely comprehensive. The responses to the open-ended question indicated that communication and care-related aspects were also important for dignity.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that the PDI items were relevant for people with an advance directive in the Netherlands. The comprehensiveness of the items can be improved by including items concerning communication and care.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Analysis of the construct of dignity and content validity of the patient dignity inventory
Authors
Gwenda Albers
H Roeline W Pasman
Mette L Rurup
Henrica CW de Vet
Bregje D Onwuteaka-Philipsen
Publication date
01-12-2011
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes / Issue 1/2011
Electronic ISSN: 1477-7525
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-9-45

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