Measuring parental uncertainty during the diagnosis phase of serious illness in a child

The purpose of this study was to revise and evaluate the Parental Perception of Uncertainty Scale (PPUS) for use in measuring parental uncertainty during the diagnosis of serious illness in a child. The concept of parental uncertainty during diagnosis was elaborated and original PPUS items were revised based on a review of the literature. Content validity of the revision was judged by nurse and parent experts. Preliminary psychometric evaluation of the measure was conducted in a sample of 25 biological mothers of infants who are HIV seropositive. The results offer initial support for the reliability and validity of the revised instrument.