The Quick FICS: 5 and 10 Item Versions of the Family Inpatient Communication Survey

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Patient Experience Measurement
• Clinical Communication Studies

Background:

• Hospital communication quality significantly influences patient family outcomes, including satisfaction, depression, and anxiety.
• Efficient and reliable assessment tools are crucial for evaluating family-centered communication in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate shorter versions of the Family Inpatient Communication Survey (FICS).
• To create the Quick FICS-5 and FICS-10 for efficient assessment of inpatient communication quality.

Main Methods:

• Developed Quick FICS-5 and FICS-10 from the original 30-item FICS.
• Utilized a development sample (n=364) from hospitalized patients 65+ and their surrogates.
• Validated the scales in a randomized controlled trial sample (n=188) of adult ICU patient surrogates, assessing validity and reliability using factor analysis, internal consistency, and outcome correlations.

Main Results:

• The Quick FICS-5 and FICS-10 demonstrated high internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha 0.83-0.90).
• Factor analysis supported overall communication scores and subscales (information, emotional support) for FICS-10.
• Validated predictive and concurrent validity through significant correlations with surrogate anxiety, satisfaction, distress, depression, and decision regret.

Conclusions:

• The Quick FICS instruments offer an efficient, valid, and reliable means to evaluate hospital communication quality.
• These tools are valuable for both research purposes and quality improvement initiatives in healthcare settings.