[Analysis of the reliability of a multidimensional complexity scale instrument (COMID) for home care nurses]

Introduction : The increasingly frequent mention of complexity by different health care actors challenges the measurement of this construct. The COMID, a tool that helps home nurses to identify complex situations, provides a multidimensional and operational definition of complexity.Context : While an acceptability study showed that nurses took a keen interest in the COMID, its psychometric properties have not yet been examined.Objective : This article reports on two studies testing the reliability of the scale.Method : Study 1 focuses on 5,401 COMIDs completed by home care nurses in their usual practice. The internal consistency was estimated using Cronbach's alpha. Study 2 focuses on 38 COMIDs, completed by home care nurses (rater group 1) and specialized nurses (rater group 2). Inter-rater agreement was examined using an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).Results : The COMID has an acceptable internal consistency α = 0.797 and an excellent inter-rater agreement ICC = 0.839.Discussion : The metrological properties of the COMID will need to be complemented by an analysis of its validity. Conclusion : The COMID has good measurement accuracy and therefore has good potential for identifying complexity in nursing practice.