RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Very little research has been conducted on the fear of injection (FOI) in patients on dialysis. However, feedback from hospital practice indicate that FOI is widespread. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a screening instrument to assess FOI in dialysis patients. METHOD AND DESIGN: A group of patients (n = 86) completed the Dialysis Fear of Injection Questionnaire (DFIQ) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). In semi-structured interviews, these patients were also asked about their FOI, general anxiety and depressive symptoms. Various analyses were used to examine the factor structure, sensitivity, accuracy and cut-off score. RESULTS: The most optimal set of items consists of 9 items. These items have the sensitivity of 0.88, a specificity of 0.72 and a cut-off value of 3.5. The Cronbach's α is 0.87. CONCLUSION: The DFIQ appears to be a good predictor for the presence of FOI. APPLICATION TO PRACTICE: Nurses can use this validated screening instrument to detect FOI. The cut-off score provides a good indication for psychological counselling.
