Psychometric assessment of the cultural capacity scale Spanish version in Chilean nursing students.

AIM: To assess the psychometric properties of the Cultural Capacity Scale Spanish version in Chilean nursing students. BACKGROUND: The increased diversity in healthcare facilities and the current shortage of local nursing workforce in Chile present a significant challenge to the nursing education to train future competent local nurses. To facilitate cultural competence development among Chilean nursing students, it is necessary to regularly assess their cultural competence, which necessitates a culturally adapted valid and reliable tool. METHODS: A convenience sample of 502 Chilean nursing students was surveyed in this cross-sectional study using the culturally adapted scale. Reliability of the instrument was established by internal consistency and stability reliability, while validity was established by content and construct. RESULTS: The Cronbach's α value of the entire scale was 0.95, and the test-retest reliability was 0.85. The Corrected Item-Total Correlations ranged from 0.45 to 0.78. The tool manifested an excellent content and construct validity. The exploratory factor analysis confirmed a single factor of the scale. DISCUSSION: The tool demonstrated evidence of internal consistency, stability reliability, content validity and construct validity. The study provided cross-cultural evidence for the potential application of this scale in Chile and other Spanish-speaking countries. CONCLUSION: The Cultural Capacity Scale Spanish version demonstrated sound psychometric properties for assessing the cultural competence of Chilean nursing students. LIMITATIONS: The sample was restricted to one university, and the tool was only used in Chilean nursing students. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING POLICY: The establishment of the Spanish version of the tool will facilitate accurate and timely monitoring of the cultural competence among Chilean nursing students and other Spanish-speaking nursing students and nurses, which can inform the creation of nursing policies aimed at ensuring cultural competence development.

Influence of extracardiac activity and perfusion abnormalities on myocardial perfusion gated SPECT parameters: interobserver analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Extracardiac activity (ECA) may affect interpretation of gated SPECT myocardial perfusion studies (MPSs). To solve this problem, available softwares include myocardial edge delimitation. PURPOSE: To evaluate the influence of ECA in automatic myocardial edge detection under normal conditions and with abnormal perfusion and also evaluate the reproducibility of semi-automatic processing. METHODS: A total of 100 MPSs, 50 with ECA, were analyzed. Each subgroup included 25 cases with perfusion abnormalities. The cases were processed automatically and by 4 independent operators with different levels of experience. Commercial QGS and QPS softwares were used with tools to mask and relocate the left ventricle area. Functional parameters (final diastolic and systolic volumes and ejection fraction) and perfusion parameters such as the reversibility perfusion score and rest perfusion defect extension were analyzed. The data were compared with Pearson's correlation and Student's test. RESULTS: Interobserver correlation significantly worsened with the presence of ECA and was moderately affected by perfusion abnormalities. More experienced observers presented better correlation. Reproducibility was greater for the functional perfusion parameters, independently of the observer's experience. CONCLUSIONS: ECA significantly affects automatic edging delimitation, affecting the MPS values. Interobserver reproducibility with manual processing was more altered regarding functional parameters than in the perfusion scores. Perfusion abnormalities did not interfere with software reproducibility, and when present, better correlation was found. If ECA is not present, manual intervention should be avoided.

Influence of extracardiac activity and perfusion abnormalities on myocardial perfusion gated SPECT parameters: Interobserver analysis

La actividad extracardíaca (AEC) puede afectar la interpretación del SPECT de perfusión miocárdica (SPM); los softwares disponibles incluyen delimitación de bordes para resolver este problema. Objectivo. Evaluar la influencia de AEC en detección automática de bordes miocárdicos en condiciones normales y perfusión anormal y evaluar reproducibilidad del procesamiento semi-automático. Métodos. Se analizaron 100 SPM, 50 con AEC; cada sub-grupo incluyó 25 casos con alteraciones de perfusión. Los casos fueron procesados automáticamente y por 4 operadores independientes con diferente nivel de experiencia. Se empleó software QGS y QPS con enmascaramiento y reubicación del ventrículo izquierdo y se analizaron parámetros funcionales (volumen final diastólico y sistólico, fracción de eyección) y parámetros de perfusión como el score sumado de reversibilidad y la extensión del defecto de perfusión en reposo. Los datos se compararon con correlación de Pearson y test de student. Resultados. La correlación interobservador empeoró considerablemente con AEC y fue moderadamente afectada por alteraciones de perfusión. Los observadores más experimentados mostraron mejor correlación. La reproducibilidad fue mayor para los parámetros funcionales de perfusión, independiente de la experiencia del observador. Conclusiones. La AEC afecta de manera significativa la delimitación automática de bordes miocárdicos, influyendo en los valores de SPM. La reproducibilidad interobservador con procesamiento manual fue más afectada en parámetros funcionales que en scores de perfusión. Las alteraciones de perfusión no interfieren con la reproducibilidad del software, y cuando estaban presentes, se observó una mejor correlación. Si no existe AEC importante, la intervención manual en el procesamiento debe evitarse(AU)

Objective. Extracardiac activity (ECA) may affect interpretation of gated SPECT myocardial perfusion studies (MPSs). To solve this problem, available softwares include myocardial edge delimitation. Purpose. To evaluate the influence of ECA in automatic myocardial edge detection under normal conditions and with abnormal perfusion and also evaluate the reproducibility of semi-automatic processing. Methods. A total of 100 MPSs, 50 with ECA, were analyzed. Each subgroup included 25 cases with perfusion abnormalities. The cases were processed automatically and by 4 independent operators with different levels of experience. Commercial QGS and QPS softwares were used with tools to mask and relocate the left ventricle area. Functional parameters (final diastolic and systolic volumes and ejection fraction) and perfusion parameters such as the reversibility perfusion score and rest perfusion defect extension were analyzed. The data were compared with Pearson's correlation and Student's test. Results. Interobserver correlation significantly worsened with the presence of ECA and was moderately affected by perfusion abnormalities. More experienced observers presented better correlation. Reproducibility was greater for the functional perfusion parameters, independently of the observer's experience. Conclusions. ECA significantly affects automatic edging delimitation, affecting the MPS values. Interobserver reproducibility with manual processing was more altered regarding funtional parameters than in the perfusion scores. Perfusion abnormalities did not interfere with software reproducibility, and when present, better correlation was found. If ECA is not present, manual intervention should be avoided(AU)

Concordancia interobservadores en la interpretación en forma ciega de cintigrafía de ventilación perfusión en pacientes con sospecha clínica de tromboembolismo pulmonar / Interobserver concordance in the interpretation of ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy in patients with clinically suspected pulmonary embolism

La pesquisa adecuada del tromboembolismo pulmonar (TEP) tiene importancia en el manejo terapéutico y en el pronóstico de los pacientes. El cintigrama de ventilación y perfusión (VQ) es un método bien establecido en la evaluación de esta patología. La concordancia interobservador puede ser bastante variable y debieran minimizarse las discordancias dentro de un mismo grupo. Objetivo: Conocer la concordancia entre observadores formados en nuestro centro y correlacionarlos con el informe oficial emitido con los antecedentes clínicos y radiológicos. Método: Se analizaron retrospectivamente 401 estudios de 382 pacientes con sospecha de TEP de diferente probabilidad clínica, informados por 6 observadores independientes con distinta experiencia. Se realizó lectura en forma ciega informando como alta, baja o intermedia probabilidad de TEP, basado en la experiencia individual y en criterios PIOPED modificados. Se aplicó kappa ponderado. Resultados: En los informes existió 27.2 por ciento de alta probabilidad de TEP, 5.5 por ciento fueron intermedia o indeterminada y 67.3 por ciento de baja probabilidad, casi normal o normal. La concordancia entre los observadores varió entre 72.6 y 86 por ciento con variación de índice kappa entre 0.582 y 0.743. La correlación con el informe emitido varió entre 74.3 y 81.8 por ciento y (k: 0.582 y 0.675). Hubo mayor concordancia entre los observadores con mayor experiencia. Conclusión: En nuestro centro existe una excelente concordancia interobservador con buenos índices kappa en la interpretación ciega de los VQ solicitados por TEP. Este ejercicio además, sirvió como entrenamiento práctico para los residentes del centro.