Living with Long term condition Scale: A pilot validation study of a new person centred tool in the UK.

This was a pilot validation in only 49 self-selected community patients, not the planned main validation, so the psychometric results are preliminary. The sample excluded people who were hospitalised, people with cognitive deterioration or current psychiatric disorders, and people who could not read or answer questionnaires, so it does not speak to those groups. Some psychometric results did not meet the paper's own criteria, including a Cronbach's alpha of 0.50 for self-management and item-total correlations as low as -0.14. Data collection changed from face-to-face to telephone during COVID-19, which the authors say could add variability. A researcher was present while participants completed self-reported questionnaires, which could have influenced answers. The study reports scale properties, not evidence that using the scale changes nursing assessment, care pathways or patient outcomes.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The supplied metadata lists non-U.S. government research support, but the article text does not name the funder; one author is described as responsible for funding the project.

Do not read this as evidence that the English scale is validated or that using it will improve nursing assessment. It was a pilot in 49 self-selected community patients, and some parts did not meet the paper's own consistency criteria, so the main validation is still needed.