Measuring Discharge Readiness: Psychometric Evaluation of an Instrument for Patients After Abdominal Surgery.

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Discharge readiness is an important aspect of quality care improvement but is poorly understood among clinicians. This study aims to develop and validate an abdominal surgery discharge readiness instrument (ASDRI). Methods: Through quantitative methods, ASDRI was crafted from qualitative exploration, literature review, and theoretical foundation. The psychometric analysis involved 344 patients with abdominal surgery aged 18 years and above using SmartPLS 4.0.9 software version. Results: The validated ASDRI contains both convergent and discriminant validities. The Average Variance Extracted (AVE) values for all the constructs were above the recommended cutoff point (AVE = 0.4) and demonstrated acceptable reliability (CA = 0.64 - 0.936; CR = 0.81 - 0.95). Conclusions: The ASDRI, comprising 28 items across five factors, emerges as a valid and reliable tool for assessing discharge readiness after abdominal surgery, emphasizing patient-centered discharge planning.