Developing and testing a symptom experience scale for stroke survivors

Objective To develop a symptom experience scale for stroke survivors and to test its reliability and validity. Methods The initial item pool was formulated by combining the results of a literature review with existing stroke-related scales and interviews with stroke patients. Items were added, deleted or modified after expert consultation and a pilot study to set up the scale. Then 200 in-patients in the rehabilitation departments of two hospitals in Shanghai were surveyed using the scale. The scale′s reliability and validity were examined. Results The final scale consisted of 19 items. An exploratory factor analysis identified six principal factors which explained 62% of the total variance in the results. The average scale-level content validity index was 0.95 and the item content validity index ranged from 0.80 to 1. The scale results correlated well with those using the Stroke Impact Scale. The Cronbach′s α coefficient was 0.81 and the split-half coefficient was 0.76. Conclusion The symptom experience scale for stroke survivors has good reliability and validity. It can be used to evaluate the symptom experiences of stroke survivors and provide information for the management of symptoms. Key words: Stroke; Symptoms experienced; Symptom burden; Symptom assessment scales