Generating candidate items for a patient-reported outcome and experience measure for adults with peripheral intravenous catheters: a qualitative study

Abstract Background Peripheral intravenous (IV) catheters are essential in modern healthcare, yet they are a common source of patient pain and distress, related to repeated failed insertion attempts, and subsequent device complications. Generic Patient Reported Outcome- and Experience- Measures poorly capture these impacts. We aimed to develop peripheral IV-specific tools to enhance patient-centred care and allow systematic measurement of future improvements. Methods A qualitative study, adhering to a PROM development process, was conducted between December 2022 and July 2023 at a quaternary hospital in Queensland, Australia. Initial item generation occurred through an expert clinician workshop ( n = 12) and five focus groups with 11 healthcare consumers. Structured interviews ( n = 10) were undertaken among key stakeholders for item refinement and content validity. Results The expert panel workshop participants generated preliminary items across experience and outcome domains. Consumer focus groups identified six experience domains, including ‘Pain and Discomfort’, ‘Education and Information’, ‘Distress and Worry’, ‘Staff Communication and Decision-Making’, ‘Regular Daily Activities’, and ‘Confidence and Safety’ and three outcome domains: ‘Future Healthcare Interactions’, ‘Physical and Emotional Harm’, and ‘Distress and Worry.’ Subsequently, 73 outcome and experience items were drafted; item refinement resulted in additional items, yielding a total of 106. Further (final) item refinement (incorporating changes following a confirmation process with participants) resulted in a final combined instrument of 109 items (86 experience; 23 outcome). Conclusion This study established foundational evidence to support development of validated, consumer‑informed PROMs and PREMs for peripheral IV insertion, care, and removal. By incorporating patient and clinician perspectives, the measures will support decision-making and enhance the consumer experience.