| Learning Objective #1: Discuss the importance of measuring the "dose" of distraction when studying the effectiveness of distraction as an intervention | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Describe the development of a new scale that measures the intensity or "dose" of distraction coaching |
Methods: Nominal group technique was used to develop an extensive list of qualities evident in successful parent distraction coaching. A constant comparative process was used to refine the list. Guided by Kahnemen's “limited capacity for attention” theory and Lollins & Kuczynoski's “bidirectionality of parent-child relationships” theory, qualities were grouped into five mutually exclusive categories. Behavioral definitions were developed for each category. Twenty experts critiqued the definitions, establishing face validity for the DCIS. Distraction intensity is defined as the product of the DCIS quality score and the frequency of distraction coaching.
Design: Discrimination validity of the DCIS was accomplished using a two-group design, comparing expert distraction coaches (Child Life Specialists) and novice distraction coaches (untrained parents).
Procedures: Subjects were videotaped while providing distraction to children during intravenous catheter insertion. Two independent coders, blind to the groups and the purpose of the study, scored 20 videotapes from each group for frequency and quality of distraction coaching using the DCIS.
Results: The preliminary Kappa of 0.88 demonstrated inter-rater reliability. Comparison scores for the expert and novice groups will be reported. T-test for independent groups, with alpha set a .05, will determine whether the DCIS can discriminate between expert and novice scores on frequency, quality, and intensity of distraction coaching.