Knowledge assessment instrument on basic support of hip fractures in the elderly

OBJECTIVE: To validate an instrument to determine the graduate students' knowledge level of health care on the basic support of life procedures, risk factors, damage and disorders in elderly patients with hip fractures. METHOD: A group of experts was asked to analyze the instrument in two steps. Firstly, the procedure was done subjectively and according to objective analysis using the Likert scale proposed by the Delphi method. After adjustment according to the suggestions, the version of the instrument was applied to 179 undergraduate students in the health area. RESULT: The instrument has achieved in its entirety and in parts (risk factors), the minimum criteria established for the Cronbach's alpha (i.e., ≥0.70). There was no change in the Cronbach's alpha (0.551) for the maintenance of initial items of the instrument, as well as the deletion of seven assessment items. CONCLUSION: The instrument developed has sufficient internal validity to determine the level of knowledge of undergraduate students in the health area on basic life support, damage, injuries and risk factors in elderly patients with hip fractures from falls. Level of Evidence III, Diagnostic Study,