A Scale to Assess Competence in Preventing Emerging Infectious Diseases Among Long-Term Care Workers.

Aim: To develop an instrument for assessing competence in emerging infectious disease prevention among health and care workers in long-term care institutions and evaluate its psychometric properties.

Design: A cross-sectional, descriptive design utilising both qualitative and quantitative methods was employed.

Methods: Based on scale development guidelines, the scale was developed in two phases, namely the scale development phase and scale testing phase, with the staff of long-term care institutions as the study population and their workplaces as the sampling unit.

Results: The scale comprises 27 items across three dimensions: 14 items pertaining to professional role performance, 7 items addressing workplace resources, and 6 items focusing on soft skills in communication and collaboration. Content analysis was conducted via a focus group discussion; content validity analysis was carried out via expert reviews; item analysis was performed via a pilot study; and construct validity and reliability were ensured via factor analysis and internal consistency testing, respectively. The total variance explained by the three factors of the 27-item scale was 64.8%, demonstrating acceptable validity and reliability with a Cronbach's α value of 0.97.

Conclusion: This scale demonstrates excellent reliability and validity, making it suitable for clinical practice and research. In practice, this instrument could also assist managers in adjusting policies to adapt to dynamic situations and enhance the quality of care in long-term care institutions. Nonetheless, further research is warranted to refine the scale and enhance its generalisability.

Impact: The scale is a psychometrically robust tool tailored for the evaluation of competence in emerging infectious disease prevention in long-term care institutions. It assesses the role performance, workplace resources, and soft skills of health and care workers in these institutions, which are crucial for guiding educational interventions and shaping policies to enhance disease prevention, ultimately improving care quality.

Patient Or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution.