Objective: To present the psychometric properties of the living with long-term condition (LwLTCs) scale in an English-speaking population of people with different LTCs.
Design: An observational and cross-sectional study, with retest was conducted. Psychometric properties including feasibility, internal consistency, confirmatory factor analysis, reproducibility and content validity were tested.
Setting: The study took place across the UK via primary care surgeries and voluntary organisations, between December 2021 and June 2022.
Participants: The study included 577 patients living with different LTCs, as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, arthritis, chronic heart failure, Parkinson's disease, chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Inclusion criteria included: (a) having been diagnosed with one or more of the conditions; (b) being able to read, understand and answer written questionnaires; (c) being fluent in English and (d) being able to provide written informed consent. Patients were involved in the design and pilot study of the scale.
Results: A total sample of 577 people with an age range of 37-97 years (98±9.65) were recruited. Internal consistency of the total 26-item LwLTCs scale score was excellent (ordinal alpha=0.90) but confirmatory factor analysis showed better fit indices (Normed Fit Index=0.96; standardised root mean square residual=0.051; Goodness of Fit Index=0.98) for a 20-item LwLTCs scale.
Conclusions: A shorter version of the LwLTCs scale, with just 20 items and with excellent psychometric properties, is recommended. Having a short scale is key when considering the implementation of the scale in clinical practice to develop person-centred pathways and more comprehensive care plans.
Keywords: Chronic Disease; Nursing Care; Observational Study; Patient Reported Outcome Measures; Patient-Centered Care.
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