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Selected Publication:
Eichhorn-Kissel, J.
The Care Dependency Scale for Rehabilitation (CDS-R) - an investigation of its psychometric properties and clinical utility
[ Dissertation ] Medical University of Graz; 2011. pp. 168
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- Authors Med Uni Graz:
- Eichhorn-Kissel Juliane
- Advisor:
- Lohrmann Christa
- Altmetrics:
- Abstract:
- The experience of physical or psychological limitations can affect every person at one point in their lives. The reasons for this may include, for example, (chronic) diseases, injuries or psychological changes which can induce care dependency. This situation can be prevented or ameliorated by rehabilitative treatment and care. For this reason, nurses have to be aware of the needs and abilities of the persons they care for and thus require appropriate assessment instruments to measure aspects such as self-care abilities, needs and dependency. The present doctoral thesis deals with an instrument which should allow the care dependency of patients to be assessed in the rehabilitation setting ¿ the Care Dependency Scale for Rehabilitation (CDS-R). In this context a series of studies were conducted on the psychometric properties of the scale and its clinical utility in rehabilitation. The first chapter of the doctoral thesis provides an overview of the relationship between chronic diseases, disabilities and care dependency. The meaning of rehabilitation, the relevance of assessment and quality criteria of assessment instruments are described here. Examples of available assessment instruments in rehabilitation, the relevant research gap for this thesis and the overall research aim are presented. Chapter two provides an insight into the background, architecture, psychometric properties and application of the Care Dependency Scale and its modified version. Methodological aspects in terms of design, sample, setting, data collection and analysis of the conducted studies are gone into briefly in chapter three. In chapters four to seven, which were written as articles, reports are presented on the reliability, validity, responsiveness and clinical utility of the Care Dependency Scale for Rehabilitation. Chapter eight briefly summarises and discusses the main findings of the present doctoral thesis. The discussion focuses mainly on the relevance of the conducted modification of the Care Dependency Scale for the field of rehabilitation and the relevance of investigations of the psychometric properties and clinical utility. Additionally, the relevance of the Care Dependency Scale itself for the rehabilitation setting is discussed. Finally, the chapter concludes by revealing a number of implications and making recommendations for future research and clinical practice. The main aspects in this context are the influence of training programmes on the equivalence of the scale, conducting future responsiveness investigations, and the interdisciplinary application of the Care Dependency Scale in rehabilitation.