Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Korean version of the Post-Intensive Care Syndrome Knowledge Test (K-PICS-KT): a methodological study

Purpose: This study aimed to develop the Korean version of the Post-Intensive Care Syndrome Knowledge Test (K-PICS-KT) through cross-cultural adaptation to ensure cultural and clinical appropriateness for use in Korea and to evaluate its validity and reliability.Methods: The Post-Intensive Care Syndrome Knowledge Test (PICS-KT) was translated into Korean through a cross-cultural adaptation process based on the World Health Organization guidelines for instrument translation and adaptation, with consideration of the Korean cultural and clinical context.The preliminary K-PICS-KT was then evaluated for validity and reliability.Validity evidence was examined using known-groups validity and item analysis.Reliability was evaluated by assessing internal consistency with the Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20) and temporal stability with a test-retest design.Results: Content validity assessment produced a preliminary K-PICS-KT comprising 54 items across four domains.Known-groups validity was supported (p < .001).During item analysis, one item was removed because of a low itemtotal correlation and content review, resulting in a final K-PICS-KT comprising 53 items across four domains.The KR-20 coefficient was .97,and the test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient was .94.Evidence supporting content validity, known-groups validity, item discrimination, internal consistency reliability, and test-retest reliability was established.Conclusion: The K-PICS-KT developed in this study can be used to measure PICS knowledge among intensive care unit nurses, develop educational programs to improve knowledge, and evaluate the effectiveness of PICS education programs.