Turkish validity and reliability study supportive care needs survey for partners and caregivers of cancer patients (SCNS-P&C-G)

Objective: The purpose of the study is to evaluate Turkish validity and reliability of the Supportive Care Needs Survey Partners & Caregivers. Method:A methodological study, 270 patients and caregivers, who applied to the Medical Oncology Department of Private Antalya Memorial Hospital between March 2016 and December 2016 and met the inclusion criteria of the study, were included in this study. In the study, written permissions were obtained from the author who developed the scale, ethics committee, institutions and individuals. Participant's Informed Consent Form, Patient Information Form, Caregiver Information Form, Supportive Care Needs Survey Partners & Caregivers, Caregiver Stress Index and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used to collect the data. The Supportive Care Needs Survey Partners & Caregivers is a 5-point likert type and consists of four subscales and a total of 39 items. The data were analyzed by using SAS 9.4 program and finding number, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Content Validity Index, exploratory and confirmatoryfactor analysis, correlation analysis, and Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient. Results: In the language validity of the scale, translation and back translation were made. For the content validity, 10 experts' opinions were taken and it was determined that the opinions were compatible (I-CVI=0.993, S-CVI=0.956). Since confirmatory factor analysis does not confirm the factor structure of the original scale, four different sub-scales of the scale were named and determined by performing exploratory factor analysis. The internal consistency reliability coefficient was found as 0.95.The correlations for test retest factor structures were found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: It was determined that the Supportive Care Needs Survey Partners & Caregivers is a valid and reliable assessment instrument for the Turkish society.It is recommended to use scale in clinical practice and research to determine the supportive care needs of caregivers.