Perme ICU Physical Therapy Competency: Development of an ICU Knowledge and Skills Assessment Tool

Background: Physical therapy for patients in the ICU is advanced practice demanding specialized knowledge and skills. However, ICU physical therapy competency standards lack uniformity or defined processes.

Objectives: To describe the development process of the Perme ICU Physical Therapy Competency and to assess its face and content validity.

Methods: Quantitative research study for the content validation of the Perme ICU Physical Therapy Competency using a panel of experts. The face validity assessment consisted of two informal surveys and discussions with clinicians representing various disciplines in ICU.

Main outcome measures: A content validation survey included analysis of sufficiency, clarity, coherence, and relevance for items in the Perme ICU Physical Therapy Competency. For the quantitative analysis of content validity, the item-level content validity index (I-CVI) was used. Scale-level content validity index based on the universal agreement method (S-CVI/UA) was calculated as the proportion of items on the scale that achieve a relevance scale of 3 or 4 by all experts. Scale-level content validity index was calculated based on the average method (S-CVI/Ave).

Results: The sufficiency, clarity, coherence, and relevance of the Perme ICU Physical Therapy Competency items presented S-CVI/Ave greater than 80 % (97 %, 97 %, 99 %, 95 %, respectively).

Conclusion: This study establishes that the Perme ICU Physical Therapy Competency has a satisfactory level of face and content validity.

Implications for clinical practice: The Perme ICU Physical Therapy Competency, with its solid framework, is a valuable assessment tool applicable for integration in any ICU competency program. It can be utilized as a self-assessment tool by individual therapists or in collaboration with mentors and evaluators to evaluate knowledge and skills effectively. This innovative tool not only enhances clinical practice but also presents an opportunity for advancing the physical therapy profession within the ICU setting.