Caroline Victorri-Vigneau1,2, Jean Benoit Hardouin3, Morgane Rousselet4,3,5, Marie Gerardin4,3, Marylène Guerlais4, Morgane Guillou5, Marie Bronnec3,5, Véronique Sébille3, Pascale Jolliet4,3. 1. Pharmacology Department, Nantes University Hospital, Institute of Biology, Hôtel Dieu, 9, Quai Moncousu, 44093, Nantes Cedex 01, France. caroline.vigneau@chu-nantes.fr. 2. EA 4275 Biostatistics, Pharmacoepidemiology and Subjective Measures in Health, UFR Pharmaceutical Sciences, 1 rue Gaston Veil, BP 53508, 44035, Nantes cedex 1, France. caroline.vigneau@chu-nantes.fr. 3. EA 4275 Biostatistics, Pharmacoepidemiology and Subjective Measures in Health, UFR Pharmaceutical Sciences, 1 rue Gaston Veil, BP 53508, 44035, Nantes cedex 1, France. 4. Pharmacology Department, Nantes University Hospital, Institute of Biology, Hôtel Dieu, 9, Quai Moncousu, 44093, Nantes Cedex 01, France. 5. Addictology Department, Nantes University Hospital, Bâtiment Louis Philippe, Hôpital St Jacques, 85 rue Saint-Jacques, 44093, Nantes Cedex 1, France.
Abstract
AIMS: The French health authority (ANSM) is responsible for monitoring medicinal and other drug dependencies. To support these activities, the ANSM manages a network of 13 drug dependence evaluation and information centres (Centres d'Evaluation et d'Information sur la Pharmacodépendance - Addictovigilance - CEIP-A) throughout France. In 2006, the Nantes CEIP-A created a new tool called the EGAP (Echelle de GrAvité de la Pharmacodépendance- drug dependence severity scale) based on DSM IV criteria. This tool allows the creation of a substance use profile that enables the drug dependence severity to be homogeneously quantified by assigning a score to each substance indicated in the reports from health professionals. This article describes the validation and psychometric properties of the drug dependence severity score obtained from the scale ( Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01052675). METHOD: The validity of the EGAP construct, the concurrent validity and the discriminative ability of the EGAP score, the consistency of answers to EGAP items, the internal consistency and inter rater reliability of the EGAP score were assessed using statistical methods that are generally used for psychometric tests. RESULTS: The total EGAP score was a reliable and precise measure for evaluating drug dependence (Cronbach alpha = 0.84; ASI correlation = 0.70; global ICC = 0.92). In addition to its good psychometric properties, the EGAP is a simple and efficient tool that can be easily specified on the official ANSM notification form. CONCLUSION: The good psychometric properties of the total EGAP score justify its use for evaluating the severity of drug dependence.
AIMS: The French health authority (ANSM) is responsible for monitoring medicinal and other drug dependencies. To support these activities, the ANSM manages a network of 13 drug dependence evaluation and information centres (Centres d'Evaluation et d'Information sur la Pharmacodépendance - Addictovigilance - CEIP-A) throughout France. In 2006, the Nantes CEIP-A created a new tool called the EGAP (Echelle de GrAvité de la Pharmacodépendance- drug dependence severity scale) based on DSM IV criteria. This tool allows the creation of a substance use profile that enables the drug dependence severity to be homogeneously quantified by assigning a score to each substance indicated in the reports from health professionals. This article describes the validation and psychometric properties of the drug dependence severity score obtained from the scale ( Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01052675). METHOD: The validity of the EGAP construct, the concurrent validity and the discriminative ability of the EGAP score, the consistency of answers to EGAP items, the internal consistency and inter rater reliability of the EGAP score were assessed using statistical methods that are generally used for psychometric tests. RESULTS: The total EGAP score was a reliable and precise measure for evaluating drug dependence (Cronbach alpha = 0.84; ASI correlation = 0.70; global ICC = 0.92). In addition to its good psychometric properties, the EGAP is a simple and efficient tool that can be easily specified on the official ANSM notification form. CONCLUSION: The good psychometric properties of the total EGAP score justify its use for evaluating the severity of drug dependence.