Development of a knowledge assessment tool for dermatotoxicity caused by inhibitors of epidermal growth factor...

Area of Science:

• Oncology Nursing
• Dermatology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Dermatotoxicity is a common side effect of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors.
• Effective management requires nurses to have adequate knowledge of potential skin toxicities.
• Existing assessment tools for this specific knowledge gap are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a knowledge assessment tool for nurses regarding dermatotoxicity associated with intravenous EGFR inhibitors.
• To create a reliable instrument for evaluating nurses' understanding of EGFR inhibitor-induced skin side effects.

Main Methods:

• A 25-item questionnaire was initially developed by five experienced oncology nurses.
• Face and content validity were assessed by six subject matter experts.
• Item analysis, including difficulty and discrimination, and reliability testing (internal consistency and test-retest) were conducted with 76 nurses.

Main Results:

• The questionnaire achieved face and content validity with 25 items.
• Two items with low biserial correlations were removed, resulting in a 23-item tool.
• The final 23-item questionnaire demonstrated excellent internal consistency (KR-20 = 0.909) and very good test-retest reliability (Cohen κ).
• Item difficulty ranged from 0.2 to 0.7, and item discrimination ranged from 0.25 to 0.64.

Conclusions:

• The validated 23-item questionnaire is a reliable tool for assessing nurses' knowledge of EGFR inhibitor-induced dermatotoxicity.
• This tool can facilitate the identification of knowledge deficits and inform the development of targeted educational interventions.
• Improved nurse knowledge can lead to better patient education and management of skin toxicities, enhancing patient outcomes.