The importance of this study lies in the availability of psychometrically sound assessment instruments, which are of critical importance for the study of patient's care dependency and the provision of care to these patients. The aim of this study was to identify the psychometric properties of the Care Dependency Scale (CDS) by analyzing data gathered in Poland. The Polish research instrument was a translation of the original Dutch CDS. Psychometric evaluations were carried out based on a convenience sample of 216 older patients. A high alpha coefficient of 0.98 was obtained. Subsequent inter-rater and test-retest reliability revealed Kappa values between 0.82-0.97 and 0.64-0.86, respectively. Factor analysis (principal component analysis) confirmed the one-factor model reported in earlier studies. The analysis of the scale showed that the instrument is promising to be used in elderly care in Poland. The Polish version of the CDS permits comparison with results from earlier studies using this instrument.
© 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Nordic College of Caring Science.