[Using experiential experts in content validity: the example of elderly population]

Abstract

Evidence-based nursing research findings can contribute to improved healthcare quality. Instruments employed to obtain measurements and obtain data affect the accuracy and appropriateness of such and can impact significantly on findings and recommendations. Content validity employs experts to assess instruments prior to their formal use in testing. Traditionally, relevant scholars/clinical professionals are invited to serve as content validity experts in the instrument assessment process. Recently, some have proposed changing the concept of experiential expert to allow the use of individuals with experience to assess self-reported instrument appropriateness in order to improve instrument practicality. In this article, we applied this concept to old age groups, and found most elderly people with normal cognitive functions qualified to serve as effective experiential experts. This group were able to assess instruments not only in terms of writing clarity and subject importance, but also in terms of their own feelings/impressions. These experiential individuals then proposed amendments, a significant portion of which were deemed valid and relevant. It is recommended that, in addition to professional experts, researchers add five elderly experiential experts to teams recruited to evaluate research content validity in the future in order to resolve limitations imposed by evaluations made only by professional experts and to ensure measurement tool content addresses as closely as possible the true state of participants. However, some factors should be carefully considered before inviting elderly individuals as experts. These include selecting appropriate inquiry methodology; considering individuals' physical and cognitive status, educational background, and ability to express opinions clearly; and related experience and knowledge.