Cross-validity of the end-of-life care management scale via a cross-sectional study

To examine the cross-validity of the end-of-life care management scale (EOLCM scale).

This cross-sectional study used a self-report questionnaire. Participants were care managers who had not participated in a previous study that developed the EOLCM scale. The survey items included participants' demographic information, the EOLCM scale, the number of end-of-life (EOL) cases managed in the last three years, and two concurrent scales, namely the Multidisciplinary Cooperation Behavior Scale for Medical and Nursing Professionals in Home Care and the "MITORI" Care Scale to Evaluate Nursing Care for Patients with End-Stage Cancer and Their Families. "MITORI" means providing care near the dying person. Internal consistency of the EOLCM scale was assessed via Cronbach's alpha. The model's goodness-of-fit was assessed via a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Construct validity was determined using the correlation coefficients between the scores of the EOLCM scale and concurrent scales, and the number of EOL cases managed in the last three years.

Valid responses were received from 501 care managers. Cronbach's αs were 0.824 and >0.709 for the entire scale and each factor, respectively. The model fit indices for the CFA were goodness-of-fit index = 0.916, adjusted goodness-of-fit index = 0.892, comparative fit index = 0.947, and root mean square error of approximation = 0.053. Correlation coefficients between the concurrent scales and the EOLCM scale, and between the number of EOL cases and the EOLCM scale ranged from 0.623 to 0.817 (P < 0.001) and from 0.103 to 0.244 (P < 0.001), respectively.

The EOLCM scale showed acceptable cross-validity. Further studies are required to examine its cross-cultural and predictive validities. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 48-52.