Arabic translation and adaptation of Critical Care Family Satisfaction Survey.

OBJECTIVE

To translate and adapt the Critical Care Family Satisfaction Survey (CCFSS), and test its validity and reliability for use in Saudi Arabia.

SETTING

Seven hundred-bed tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia.

PARTICIPANTS

Seventy-six adult relatives of patients who had been cared for in an intensive care unit for 24 hrs or more.

INTERVENTIONS

The CCFSS, a battery of 20 items divided into five subscales, was translated into Arabic. After transfer of patients to regular inpatient units, interviewers administered the survey to their next-of-kin. Respondents ranked their satisfaction with each item on a 5-point Likert scale.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Subscale scores were calculated as the average of the individual item scores. The total scale score was the sum of the subscale scores.

RESULTS

The total scale and 'Information', 'Support', 'Comfort' and 'Assurance' subscales showed acceptable internal consistency (Spearman's correlation coefficient of the total score with each of the subscale scores = 0.52-0.81, P<0.01; Cronbach's alpha = 0.67-0.88). But the 'Proximity' subscale performed poorly (r=0.48, P<0.01; Cronbach's alpha = 0.36). Discriminant validity was tested with a Spearman's rank correlation matrix of the subscales, and ranged from weak between 'Support' and both 'Assurance' and 'Information' (r=0.80) to substantial between 'Information' and 'Proximity' (r=0.54) (P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

This Arabic translation and adaptation of the CCFSS is a valid, reliable and feasible tool to evaluate family satisfaction in Saudi Arabian intensive care units.