Organ Transplantation Readiness Scale: A Scale Development Study.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine the transplant readiness levels of patients awaiting organ transplantation, to assess the ability of the patient to adjust to life post-transplant, and to conduct a validity and reliability assessment of the organ transplant readiness scale to be able to offer patients the support they require.

Method: This Methodological descriptive study was conducted between December 2023 and February 2024 on 227 patients awaiting kidney transplantation. The data were evaluated using IBM SPSS Statistics 23 and IBM SPSS AMOS 23 programs. Descriptive statistics (n, %) were given for categorical variables. In evaluating the scores given by experts, the Content Validity Index (CVI) and Content Validity Rates (CVR) were calculated. The characteristics of the participants were examined with frequency and percentage distributions. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha coefficient and item-total correlation were used to evaluate the data for construct validity.

Results: The total Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the Turkish scale was 0.94. From the confirmatory factor analysis, the results of the model-fit index were: RMSEA: 0.099, GFI = 0.829, NFI: 0.886, IFI: 0.919, CFI = 0.918, RFI: 0.85. According to the explanatory and confirmatory factor analysis, 11 items with low factor loads were discarded, and the scale was finalised as 21 items. The Organ Transplant Readiness Scale was determined to have a 5-factor structure: knowledge, treatment compliance, healthy living, cognition, and social support. Test-retest reliability evaluated using intraclass correlation was found to be 0.99.

Conclusions: The Turkish version of the Organ Transplant Readiness Scale, prepared for patients waiting for organ transplantation, would be a valid and reliable measurement tool for Turkish society. The findings showed that the Turkish version of the scale consists of 5 subscales, and the Cronbach's alpha value of the scale was high. This scale can determine the needs of patients preparing for organ transplantation and guide nurses in planning the nursing care. Thus, it can give healthcare professionals an idea about how ready patients are for organ transplantation and how patients will be able to adapt after organ transplantation.