Development of the support needs after ICU (SNAC) questionnaire

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Health Psychology
• Survey Methodology

Background:

• Intensive Care Unit (ICU) survivors often experience complex needs during recovery.
• Identifying and addressing these needs is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes and quality of life.
• Existing tools may not comprehensively capture the multifaceted support requirements of ICU survivors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Support Needs After ICU (SNAC) questionnaire.
• To assess the reliability and validity of the SNAC questionnaire in a diverse group of ICU survivors.
• To establish a tool for identifying evolving support needs throughout the post-ICU recovery trajectory.

Main Methods:

• The SNAC questionnaire was developed using a systematic scoping review and analysis of patient interviews.
• Face and content validity were assessed by service users and a healthcare professional expert panel.
• Reliability was determined using Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficients in a pilot survey of 202 ICU survivors.

Main Results:

• The 32-item SNAC questionnaire assesses informational, emotional, instrumental, appraisal, and spiritual support needs.
• The questionnaire demonstrated high internal consistency (0.97) and high test-retest reliability (r=0.8).
• Subcategory reliability ranged from 0.3 to 0.9, indicating robust measurement properties.

Conclusions:

• The SNAC questionnaire is a comprehensive, valid, and reliable instrument for assessing ICU survivor needs.
• The SNAC questionnaire has significant potential for identifying patient needs and guiding post-hospital support services.
• Further research, including factor analysis, is warranted to fully establish its utility and evolving needs assessment capabilities.