Cross-Cultural Validation of the Intensive Care Experience Questionnaire in Korean Critical Care Survivors

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to culturally adapt the Intensive Care Experience Questionnaire (ICEQ) for Korean patients and evaluate its validity and reliability. Methods: This cross-sectional study comprised two phases. The first phase involved the cultural adaptation of the ICEQ. In the second phase, the psychometric properties of the adapted measure were evaluated. Cultural adaptation was conducted in accordance with the World Health Organization's process. The adapted questionnaire was administered to 200 Korean patients who had received treatment in an intensive care unit within the past six months. Model fit was assessed through confirmatory factor analysis, and convergent validity and discriminant validity of the items were assessed. Known-groups validity was evaluated using the t test and Cohen's effect size. Cronbach's alpha was used to examine internal consistency reliability. Results: The Korean version of the ICEQ (K-ICEQ) consists of 26 items and four subscales: Frightening Experiences, Awareness of Surroundings, Satisfaction with Care, and Recall of Experiences. The model fit indices, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the K-ICEQ were all satisfactory. According to the results of the test of known-groups validity, intensive care unit (ICU) experience varied according to gender, planned ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and restraints application. Cronbach's a of the K-ICEQ subscales ranged from .74 to .93. Conclusion: The validity and reliability of the K-ICEQ reflecting the characteristics of Korean ICU patients were satisfactory. The K-ICEQ can be used to evaluate the experience of Korean ICU patients and contribute to the development of interventions to improve the ICU experience. (C) 2020 Korean Society of Nursing Science.