Evaluating the Construct Validity of the Charité Alarm Fatigue Questionnaire using Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Abstract

Abstract BackgroundThe Charité Alarm Fatigue Questionnaire (CAFQa) is a 9-item questionnaire that aims to standardize how alarm fatigue in nurses and physicians is measured. We previously hypothesized that it has 2 correlated scales, one on the psychosomatic effects of alarm fatigue and the other on staff’s coping strategies in working with alarms. ObjectiveWe aimed to validate the hypothesized structure of the CAFQa and thus underpin the instrument’s construct validity. MethodsWe conducted 2 independent studies with nurses and physicians from intensive care units in Germany (study 1: n=265; study 2: n=1212). Responses to the questionnaire were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis with the unweighted least-squares algorithm based on polychoric covariances. Convergent validity was assessed by participants’ estimation of their own alarm fatigue and exposure to false alarms as a percentage. ResultsIn both studies, the χ2χ226Pχ226Prrrr ConclusionsThe questionnaire measures the construct of alarm fatigue as proposed in our previous study. Researchers and clinicians can rely on the CAFQa to measure the alarm fatigue of nurses and physicians.