Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-sxzjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T05:03:03.463Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The development and evaluation of the DK-20: a knowledge of dementia measure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 August 2013

Niamh Shanahan ,
Martin Orrell ,
Astrid K Schepers  and
Aimee Spector
Niamh Shanahan*
Affiliation:
Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
Martin Orrell
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health Sciences, University College London, Riding House Street, London W1W 7EJ, UK
Astrid K Schepers
Affiliation:
Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
Aimee Spector
Affiliation:
Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Dr Niamh Shanahan, Neuro-Rehabilitation Unit, National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK. Phone: +44 0203 4483996; Fax: +44 0203 4483711. Email: niamhshanahan@hotmail.com.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background:

Raising understanding of dementia has become a key focus of international health and social care. An up-to-date, psychometrically sound measure of dementia knowledge that embraces a biopsychosocial perspective is lacking. The aim of this study is to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of the DK-20, a dementia knowledge questionnaire aimed at unqualified care staff.

Methods:

Domain and item generation followed recommended measure development procedures. A pilot and large-scale study evaluated the psychometric properties of the measure on a sample of 211 care staff and other dementia professionals.

Results:

The final 20-item measure encompasses items based on biopsychosocial dementia knowledge and care-specific knowledge. Acceptable test-retest reliability, marginal levels of internal consistency, and evidence for face, content, and construct validity were demonstrated.

Conclusions:

The DK-20 is the first knowledge of dementia measure to be developed specifically for unqualified care staff and has reasonable psychometric properties. It may be used to identify gaps in knowledge, highlighting areas for inclusion in educational interventions.

Keywords

Alzheimer’sdementiacare staffreliabilityvalidityoutcome measure
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 25 , Issue 11 , November 2013 , pp. 1899 - 1907
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allen, M. J. and Yen, W. M. (1979). Introduction to Measurement Theory. Monterey, CA: BrooksiCole.Google Scholar
Ayalon, L., Are Ayalon, L., Arean, P., Bornfeld, H. and Beard, H. (2009). Long-term care staff beliefs about evidence-based practices for the management of dementia and agitation. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 24, 118–124.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Barrett, J. J., Haley, W. E., Harrell, L. E. and Powers, R. E. (1997). Knowledge about Alzheimer's disease among primary care physicians, psychologists, nurses and social workers. Alzheimer's Disease and Associated Disorders, 11, 99–106.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carpenter, B. D., Balsis, S., Otilingam, P. G., Hanson, P. K. and Gatz, M. (2009). The Alzheimer's disease knowledge scale: development and psychometric properties. Gerontologist, 49, 236–247. doi:10.1093/geront/gnp023.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Courtenay, B. C. and Weidemann, C. (1985). The effects of a “don't know” response on Plamore's facts on aging quizzes. Gerontologist, 25, 171–181.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dieckmann, L., Zarit, S. H., Zarit, J. M. and Gatz, M. (1988). The Alzheimer's disease knowledge test. Gerontologist, 28, 402–407.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Enders, C. K. and Bandalo, D. L. (1999). The effects of heterogeneous item distribution of item distributions on reliability. Applied Measurement in Education, 12, 133–150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fahy, M. A. and Livingstone, G. A. (2001). The needs and mental health of older people in 24-hour care residential placements. Aging and Mental Health, 5, 253–257.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Firth-Cozens, J. and Hardy, G. E. (1992). Occupational stress, clinical treatment and changes in job perceptions. Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology, 65, 81–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gilleard, C. and Groom, F. (1994). A study of two dementia quizzes. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 33, 529–534. doi:10.1111/j.2044-8260.1994.tb01149.x.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gliem, J. A. and Gliem, R. R. (2003). Calculating, Interpreting, and Reporting Cronbach's Alpha Reliability Coefficient for Likert-Type Scales. Paper presented at Midwest Research to Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, and Community Education, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 8–10 October. Available at http://www.alumni-osu.org/midwest/midwest%20&%20Gliem–Done.pdf; last accessed 23 August 2004.Google Scholar
Henwood, M. (2001). Future Imperfect: Report of the Kings Fund Care and Support Inquiry. London: King's Fund.Google Scholar
Hughes, J., Bagley, H., Reilly, S., Burns, A. and Challis, D. (2008). Care staff working with people with dementia, training, knowledge and confidence. Dementia, 7, 227–238.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kitwood, T. (1997). Dementia Reconsidered: The Person Comes First. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.Google Scholar
Kline, P. (1986). A handbook of Test Construction: Introduction to Psychometric Design. New York: Methuen.Google Scholar
Kuhn, D., King, S. P. and Fulton, B. R. (2005). Development of the knowledge about memory loss and care (KAML-C) test. American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, 20, 41–49. doi:10.1177/153331750502000108.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Landis, J. R. & Koch, G. G. (1977). The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics 33, 159–174.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lintern, T., Woods, B. and Phair, L. (2000). Before and after training: a case study of intervention. Journal of Dementia Care, 8, 15–17. doi:10.4061/2010/454218.Google Scholar
Moniz-Cook, E., Woods, R. and Gardiner, E. (2000). Staff factors associated with the perception of behaviour as “challenging” in residential and nursing homes. Aging and Mental Health, 4, 48–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. (2006). A NICE–SCIE Guideline on Supporting People with Dementia and their Carers in Health and Social Care. London: British Psychological Society.Google Scholar
Santo-Novak, D. A., Duncan, J. W., Grisson, K. R. and Powers, R. E. (2001). MSHAKE: a tool for measuring staff knowledge related to geriatric mental health. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 27, 29–35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schepers, A. K., Orrell, M., Shanahan, N. and Spector, A. (2011). Sense of competence in dementia carestaff (SCIDS) scale: development, reliability and validity. International Psychogeriatrics. doi:10.1017/S104161021100247X.Google Scholar
Skills for Care. (2005). Knowledge Set Progress log: Dementia. Available at http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/nmsruntime/saveasdialog.aspx?lID=130&sID=26; last accessed 26 August 2010.Google Scholar
Spector, A. and Orrell, M. (2010). Using a biopsychosocial model of dementia as a tool to guide clinical practice. International Psychogeriatrics, 22, 957–965.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Spector, A., Orrell, M., Schepers, A. and Shanahan, N. (2012). A systematic review of “knowledge of dementia” outcome measures. Aging Research Review, 11, 67–77.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Spore, D. L., Smyer, M. A. and Cohn, M. D. (1991). Assessing nursing assistant's knowledge of behavioural approaches to mental health problems. Gerontonologist, 31, 309–317.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Streiner, D. L. and Norman, G. R. (2008). Health Measurement Scales: A Practical Guide to their Development and Use, 3rd edn.New York, NY: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thurmond, J. A. (1999). Nurses perception of chemical restraint use in long-term care. Applied Nursing Research, 12, 159–162.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
UK Department of Health. (2006). A New Ambition for Old Age: Next Steps in Implementing the National Service Framework for Older People. Available at http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_4133947.pdf; last accessed 15 July 2010.Google Scholar
UK Department of Health. (2009). Living Well with Dementia, National Dementia Strategy. Available at http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_094051.pdf; last accessed 17 August 2010.Google Scholar
Zimmerman, S.et al. (2005). Dementia care and quality of life in assisted living and nursing homes. Gerontologist, 45, 133–146. doi:10.1093/geront/45.suppl_1.133.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Supplementary material: File

Shanahan Supplementary Material

Supplementary Material

Download Shanahan Supplementary Material(File)
File 53.2 KB