Assessing pediatric patient's risk of distress during health-care encounters: The psychometric properties of the psychosocial risk assessment in pediatrics
Published online on August 12, 2013
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Psychosocial Risk Assessment in Pediatrics (PRAP). PRAP is a screening tool designed to assess pediatric patients who are at risk of experiencing elevated distress during health-care encounters. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with 200 pediatric patients. Patient’s distress levels were observed during their health-care encounter using the Children’s Emotional Manifestation Scale (CEMS). Health-care staff and parents were asked to rate the patient’s level of cooperation and stress. Exploratory factor analysis supported a single latent factor structure of the PRAP tool. Cronbach’s α for internal reliability was .83. PRAP score was strongly correlated with CEMS score with r = .82 (p < .0001). The PRAP is a standardized, reliable, and valid method for health-care providers to assess a patient’s risk of experiencing significant distress during treatment or testing.