Psychometric Properties of the Fall Risk Perception Questionnaire-Short Version for Inpatients in Acute Care...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Patient Safety
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Patient perception of fall risk is crucial for effective fall prevention strategies.
• Existing fall risk perception questionnaires may not be suitable for rapid, repeated use in acute care settings.
• A validated, concise tool is needed to assess inpatient fall risk perception.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a short version of the fall risk perception questionnaire (Short-FRPQ) for use with inpatients.
• To create a tool that allows for rapid and repeated assessment of fall risk perception in acute care.

Main Methods:

• 246 inpatients from an acute care hospital participated in psychometric measurements.
• Confirmatory factor analysis, discriminant validity, convergent validity, and known-group validity were assessed.
• Internal consistency was evaluated using McDonald's omega coefficient.

Main Results:

• The 14-item, three-factor Short-FRPQ demonstrated satisfactory fit indices in confirmatory factor analysis.
• The Short-FRPQ showed significant positive correlations with established scales (Korean Falls Efficacy Scale-International, Morse Fall Scale).
• Inpatients identified as high fall risk via the Morse Fall Scale scored higher on the Short-FRPQ (McDonald's omega = .90).

Conclusions:

• The Short-FRPQ exhibits strong reliability and validity for assessing inpatient fall risk perception.
• This validated tool facilitates quick and repeated evaluation, supporting patient engagement in fall interventions.
• The Short-FRPQ is a valuable instrument for improving fall prevention in acute care settings.