A psychometric analysis of the Caring Assessment Tool version V

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Quality
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Patient perception of care is crucial for evaluating healthcare quality.
• The Caring Assessment Tool (CAT) is an established instrument for measuring these perceptions.
• Validation of the CAT version V (CAT-V) in the Australian context is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the factor structure and construct validity of the CAT-V in Australian hospitals.
• To assess the reliability and validity of the CAT-V for measuring patient perceptions of nursing care.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of CAT-V surveys from the Australian Nursing Outcomes Collaborative (AUSNOC) dataset.
• Exploratory factor analysis and item analysis were performed on data from 476 participants.
• The 27-item CAT-V was administered to patients prior to discharge.

Main Results:

• Item analysis indicated high levels of perceived caring behaviors and actions.
• Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure: Nurse-patient communication and Feeling cared for.
• The CAT-V demonstrated reliability and validity in this Australian sample.

Conclusions:

• The CAT-V is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring patients' perceptions of nursing care in Australia.
• The findings support the use of CAT-V to assess nurse-patient communication and patient-centeredness.
• This tool can inform quality improvement initiatives in Australian healthcare settings.