Psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale (QDTS) for postpartum mothers

Introduction: Childbirth is an important event in the life of the family, and at the same time it is a considerable challenge in the light of new responsibilities. Preparation for motherhood is very important for women and it gives them a sense of security and self-confidence. During the stay in the maternity ward, mothers receive a lot of information from the medical staff about self-care after delivery and childcare. The Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale (QDTS) for postpartum mothers is a tool used to assess the quality of women’s health education after delivery. Aim: The aim of the research was to translate and analyze the psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale. Methods: The study was conducted from June to October 2017 among 142 adult postpartum women on the day of discharge from the maternity ward of Clinical Provincial Hospital no 2 in Rzeszow, Poland. Cross-sectional study and questionnaire technique were used to collect data. Results: The Cronbach Alpha measure was used to assess the internal consistency of the scale. A Cronbach Alpha value which is greater than 0.7 indicates that the scale has high reliability. Conclusions: The analysis confirms that in Polish conditions the questionnaire has a very high reliability in assessing the quality of health education of mothers after delivery.