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Updated: Jan 9, 2026
Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills
Published on: April 23, 2014
Development and psychometric evaluation of a learning needs assessment tool for healthcare professionals in
Jesper M A Biesmans1,2, Sascha R Bolt3, Sandra M G Zwakhalen1,2
1Department of Health Services Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Background:
Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of individuals with chronic, life-limiting diseases like dementia. Self-assessment by healthcare professionals of their learning needs helps to identify areas for improvement and enhance care provision. To support this, the Desired Dementia Care Towards End of Life (DEDICATED) questionnaire was developed; a self-assessment tool for measuring healthcare professionals' skill development needs.
Objective:
To describe the development of the questionnaire and examine its psychometric properties.
Design:
Quantitative cross-sectional psychometric evaluation.
Settings:
Data was collected in nursing homes, hospital wards, and home care organizations providing palliative care to people with dementia in the Netherlands.
Participants:
The questionnaire was developed by healthcare professionals and researchers. Psychometric evaluation was then conducted with 332 Dutch healthcare professionals, divided over two samples.
Methods:
Scientific literature and expert input were used to develop the questionnaire, which then underwent feasibility testing and psychometric evaluation. Construct validity was assessed via exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Inter-item correlations were used to evaluate convergent validity, and item-factor correlations to assess discriminant validity. Reliability was tested using item-total correlations, Cronbach's alpha, and McDonald's omega. Ceiling effects and the tool's ability to differentiate outcomes across healthcare professions were assessed with ANOVA. Pearson's correlation was used to assess concurrent validity between the questionnaire and the End-of-Life Professional Caregiver Survey.
Results:
The 29-item questionnaire showed strong internal consistency, with a mean Cronbach's alpha of .89 and McDonald's omega of .90. Factor analysis identified five factors, explaining 71.68 % variance: (1) Familiarization with the person with dementia, (2) Timing for advance care planning, (3) Healthcare professional's role in advance care planning, (4) Interprofessional collaboration, and (5) Managing pain and responsive behavior. Statistically significant differences between nurses and nurse assistants suggest the questionnaire was able to differentiate outcomes across healthcare professions (mean difference = 6.15, 95 % CI: .15 to 12.2, p = .042). A moderate positive correlation was found between the questionnaire and End-of-Life Professional Caregiver Survey (r = .33, 95 % CI: .13 to .50, p = .002).
Conclusion:
The DEDICATED questionnaire shows promising psychometric properties and could support the needs of healthcare professionals in providing palliative care for people with dementia.
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