Home health care: reliability and validity testing of a patient-classification instrument

The purposes of this methodologic, descriptive, correlation study were to assess the reliability and validity of the Easley-Storfjell (ES) patient-classification instrument for home care, and determine to what extent it was useful in a large, hospital-based home health care setting. A model for home health care developed by the investigator was used. Interrater reliability and concurrent validity were established by four nurse-raters using a random sample. Nonparametric bivariate correlational analysis demonstrated that the ES instrument was both reliable and valid at a significant level. In addition, there was agreement between the overall ES category rating and rater frequency of home visits. Intrarater reliability for each of the four nurse-raters on a random sample was at a significant level. The results of this study have important implications for home health care agencies providing care to chronically ill patients.