Development and psychometric evaluation of transition of care for older adults scale: Barriers and facilitators (TOCAS-BF)

Abstract

Background: Healthcare systems strive to improve hospital-to-home transitions for older adults, but existing tools often miss key facilitators and barriers. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a tool for assessing the facilitators of and barriers to effective transitional care for older adults and to evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods: A methodological study was conducted from September 2023 to February 2024 with 229 older adult volunteers to develop and test the tool. Results: The Transition of Care for Older Adults Scale is a 32-item scale with a 4-factor structure accounting for 52 % of the total variance explained. The indicators of confirmatory factor analysis were satisfactory. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for reliability was 0.925, indicating an optimal score. Conclusion: The Transition of Care for Older Adults Scale supports nurses in improving discharge planning, follow-up, and family support, while aiding educators in teaching strategies and researchers in studying care models and policies. (c) 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.