Development and psychometric evaluation of the chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy assessment tool

Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) can be a debilitating and dose-limiting adverse effect of chemotherapy. Comprehensive self-report tools for CIPN are needed for research and clinical practice. Objective: The purpose of this psychometric study was to describe the development and evaluate the reliability and validity of a new self-report tool designed to measure CIPN, the Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Assessment Tool (CIPNAT). Methods: One hundred sixty-seven patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy with paclitaxel, docetaxel, cisplatin, or oxaliplatin completed the CIPNAT. Content validity, convergent validity, discriminant validity, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency reliability were assessed. Results: Content validity index was very acceptable at 0.95. Convergent validity data were provided by correlation with a measure of the same concept (r = 0.83, P < .001), and differences between contrasting groups (t = 7.66, P < .001) provided evidence of discriminant validity. High test-retest correlations (r = 0.92, P < .001), Cronbach α (α = .95), and significant item-to-total correlations ranging from 0.38 to 0.70 provided evidence of reliability. Conclusions: Results provide evidence of the validity and reliability of the CIPNAT, which can be used for comprehensive assessment of CIPN. Implications for Practice: Use of the CIPNAT in research may lead to a better understanding of CIPN and guide nurses in developing and testing of interventions to relieve suffering and enhance quality of life for patients with CIPN.