Development of the implanted devices adjustment scale

Area of Science:

• Medical Device Technology
• Psychometrics
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• The increasing prevalence of implanted medical devices necessitates tools to assess patient adaptation.
• Some patients experience psychological distress, including depression and anxiety, following implantation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Implanted Device Adjustment Scale (IDAS) for measuring patient adjustment to implanted devices.
• To provide a reliable instrument for assessing psychological outcomes in patients with implanted medical devices.

Main Methods:

• Item pool generation and expert review for content validity.
• Pilot testing with a small sample to refine items.
• Administration of the revised IDAS to a convenience sample of 45 patients with pacemakers or cardioverter/defibrillators, with test-retest assessment.

Main Results:

• The final IDAS demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.90) and excellent test-retest reliability (0.92).
• No significant differences in adjustment scores were found based on age, gender, or device type.
• The scale effectively identified patient adjustment levels to implanted devices.

Conclusions:

• The Implanted Device Adjustment Scale (IDAS) is a psychometrically sound instrument for evaluating patient adjustment to implanted medical devices.
• The IDAS can facilitate early identification of patients struggling with device adjustment, enabling timely interventions.
• Improved patient adjustment assessment may lead to better health outcomes for individuals with implanted medical devices.