Development and validation of an instrument for tracking and analyzing recovery from symptoms associated with...

To develop and validate the psychometric properties of a screening and recovery instrument for signs and symptoms associated with COVID-19 or post-acute COVID-19 syndrome.

This study consisted of four stages: literature mapping; development of the instrument; content validation; and assessment of internal consistency and criterion validity for some items. Content validation was conducted via an online panel, using the Likert scale and the Delphi technique for concordance, summarized by the content validity index. Internal consistency was assessed by calculating and analyzing Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The analysis of concurrent validity was conducted using Spearman's and intraclass correlation coefficients.

Twenty publications were selected: 17 observational studies and 3 systematic reviews. The tool prototype was sent for content validation with 23 expert judges. After changes, a content validity index of 0.83 was obtained, indicating excellent concordance. The current version of the Screening and Analysis Form for the Recovery Trajectory of Symptoms Potentially Related to Covid-19 was applied to 70 people six weeks after hospital discharge due to severe COVID-19 and showed reasonable internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.76). The items best correlated with the scores of the contrasted instruments or domains were dyspnea (Spearman's ρ=0.93; p-value 0.007) and malaise (intraclass correlation coefficient=-0.73; 95% confidence interval -2.44; 0.30).

The instrument had satisfactory content and correlation validity for the items compared.