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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
08:34
Investigation into Deep Breathing through Measurement of Ventilatory Parameters and Observation of Breathing Patterns
Published on: September 16, 2019
Content validity and the language of breathing
1University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA.
Heart & Lung : the Journal of Critical Care
|December 2, 2006
Summary
This study validated patient-reported breathing intensity descriptors. While most terms were confirmed, those describing lower intensity breathing received lower expert validation scores, suggesting a potential disconnect in language interpretation.
Area of Science:
- Clinical assessment and patient-reported outcomes
- Linguistic analysis in healthcare
Background:
- Accurate communication of breathing intensity is crucial for patient care.
- Patient-generated language for breathing intensity may differ from clinical expert interpretation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the content validity of natural language breathing-intensity descriptors identified from participant logs.
- To assess the agreement between patient language and expert ratings of breathing intensity.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive design utilizing previously collected data.
- Expert panel review (six master's-prepared nurses) of breathing-intensity descriptors.
- Content validity rating using a 4-point scale (0-3), with scores >1.0 establishing validity.
Main Results:
- 66 out of 74 (89%) natural language breathing-intensity descriptors were validated.
- Eight descriptors, all related to lower breathing intensity, were not validated by the expert panel.
- Highest validation scores were observed for descriptors at the upper end of the breathing intensity spectrum.
Conclusions:
- Natural language breathing-intensity descriptors can be validated for clinical use.
- A notable finding was the lower content validity scores for descriptors of lower breathing intensity.
- Discrepancies in validation scores raise questions about potential differences in language, meaning, and significance between patients and healthcare experts.
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