URL:

http://www.chcr.brown.edu/pcoc/toolkit.htm

Description:

Toolkit of Instruments to Measure End-of-Life Care, or TIME, is a project of the Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research at Brown University. TIME's purpose is to create survey instruments to measure end-of-life care so that medical care for these patients may be improved, that the impact of interventions may be examined, and that institutions should be held accountable for their quality of care.

Types of Information or Instruments:

There are different methods in which measuring end-of-life care is addressed. Select the " Annotated Bibliographies" link to find 11 specific domains, such as quality of life, pain, emotional symptoms, and others. Within these links, one will then find an introduction of varying length to the research conducted in the area, followed by a literature review consisting of names of potential instruments with brief descriptions. A select few of the instruments names will offer links to an expanded section that examines the function and structure of the instrument and information about reliability and validity, interpretability, alternative forms, cultural and language adaptations, and why this instrument would be effective for measuring end-of-life care. If an instrument name is a link in the expanded section, then that will either take the user to the instrument itself, an email prompt, or to another website for more information. There is also a link to "New Validated Instruments," which gives a short description to two survey instruments, however, only the After-Death Bereaved Family Interview is available.

Quantity of Instruments:

There are 38 instruments that are described in detail and approximately 20 available on the site and through its external links.

Quality of Instrument Descriptions:

The site includes an excellent decription of instruments with conceptual and psychometric information.

Quality of Psychometric Information:

The psychometric information is clear and detailed. It includes reliability, validity, responsiveness, interpretability, burden, alternative forms, and cultural and language adaptations.

Scale accessibility:

There are references provided for many of the scales. Some of these references will have the scales available.

Site provides actual scale items:

This site does contain actual scale items.

User-friendly navigation:

Navigation in the site is easy.

Other types of Information:

Links to ten helpful sites are provided, although many of these are also listed on our site.

Hints:

View the "Summary Table" link to compare each of the recommended tools, separated by domains. This can be found under "Annotated Bibliography." It must be noted that this site is an updated version of another end-of-life care site hosted at both George Washington University and at RAND. While those other sites may still be available, this version is the most up-to-date.

Category:

Utilzation Variables > End-of-life Care