Validation of the CAN-WISE (Canadian Wound Program Information, Services, and Evaluation) Questionnaire

OBJECTIVE: The Canadian Wound Program Information, Services, and Evaluation (CAN-WISE) questionnaire was developed to assess and evaluate acute wound care programs across Canada, addressing variations in service accessibility and program effectiveness. METHODS: An expert panel of 9 acute care wound management program leads reviewed and assessed the CAN-WISE questionnaire. Content Validity Ratios (CVR), Scale Content Validity Index (S-CVI), Modified Kappa, Gwet’s AC1, and Brennan-Prediger tests were utilized to evaluate the relevance and reliability of both questions and responses. Percentage agreement metrics were also used to assess the clarity and vocabulary of the questions and responses. RESULTS: The results of this validation study demonstrated high consensus among the expert panel for the final questionnaire, with question CVRs ranging from 0.777 to 1, elevated I-CVI scores of 0.888 to 1, and high, statistically relevant inter-rater reliability scores (AC1=0.966, Brennan-Prediger=0.934), demonstrating that the questions included were both essential and well constructed. Questionnaire responses demonstrated similarly high CVR scores (0.777 to 1), I-CVI scores (0.888 to 1), and statistically relevant reliability (AC1=0.988, Brennan-Prediger=0.976). Clarity and vocabulary analysis showed high absolute agreement levels of 95.88% and 98.96%, respectively. These reliability metrics were further supported by high, statistically relevant Gwet’s AC1 and Brennan-Prediger test results for clarity and vocabulary, confirming the tool’s comprehensibility. CONCLUSIONS: The CAN-WISE questionnaire has demonstrated validity and reliability in its ability to evaluate acute care wound management programs in Canada. It provides a valuable tool for assessing program strengths and areas for improvement to improve acute wound care programs throughout the nation.