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Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Patients with limited communication in end-of-life situations: Initial psychometric properties of a discomfort
Ana Lucila Soto-Rubio1, José Manuel Tomás Miguel1, Marián Pérez-Marín1
1University of Valencia, Spain.
Abstract:
This work presents an observational scale which takes into account different observable indicators of discomfort of patients in end-of-life situations with difficulties in communicating due to cognitive impairment, fatigue or sedation and provides details of its validation. In all, 71 adults participated. Model fit was adequate (χ2(27) = 43.28, p = .024, comparative fit index = .975, root mean square error of approximation = .092 and confidence interval 90% (.033-.140)). Alpha coefficient was .70 and composite reliability index was .90. Our study provides data regarding the properties of a discomfort assessment scale. Such a scale is needed and could be very useful for the evaluation of such patients and thus to attend to their needs.
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