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Published on: October 25, 2024
[A qualitative study of Falls Efficacy Scale-International/Hips. What do we measure?]
A van Alphen1, M J Westerman, J H M Visschedijk
1Stichting Sint Jacob, Haarlem, The Netherlands. a.van.alphen.fes.oz@gmail.com
Objective:
Pilot-testing a new instrument: the Falls Efficacy Scale-International/Hips (FES-I/Hips). This instrument is intended to measure 'Fear of Falling' (FoF). To the current instrument, the Falls Efficacy Scale-International, are four questions added for patients who are rehabilitating in a nursing home. It is pretested and used in the HIPS-study.
Methods:
Qualitative exploratory study with interviews in a Three Step Test Interview (TSTI) protocol. Respondents (N = 12) were asked to think aloud while completing the questionnaire.
Results:
The instruction how to complete the questionnaire is well understood by patients but was not properly used by them. The questionnaire contains questions with difficult words and questions which are no longer relevant. There are six "two-in-one questions" that cause confusion.
Conclusion:
Use of the standard instruction when completing the FES-I/Hips can lead to underreporting of FoF. Adaptation of certain items may improve content validity. Further psychometric studies are recommended to determine whether the proposed adjustments are appropriate.
