Permission to use the scales for research or clinical practice is granted by the author (Dr. Marianne Weiss). Modification of the scales is NOT permitted. (See Permission to Use statement for more information.) Links to approved translations are provided. Please contact the translator for permission to use the translation. Cite Dr. Marianne Weiss as author of the scale and also cite the translator in any publications. For more information about the Readiness for Discharge Scales, go to the College of Nursing website.
The POST-DISCHARGE COPING DIFFICULTY SCALE (PDCDS) is a patient self-report tool measuring difficulty with coping at home following discharge from the hospital. This is a unidimensional scale that is administered by phone typically between two and three weeks post-discharge.
There are three forms of the PDCDS for adult medical-surgical patients, parents of hospitalized children, and postpartum mothers.
- PDCDS- Adult form: 10 items (item 6b is not included in the scoring)
- Ped-PDCDS for parents of hospitalized children (including NICU): 11 items (includes items 10 a and 10 b; item 6b is not included in the scoring)
- OB-PDCDS for postpartum mothers: 10 items
Items are scored on a 0 to 10 scaling format. Items 8-10 (10a and 10b in pediatric version) should be reverse scored. To obtain a total score, sum the items and divide by the number of items in the scale; the score is the mean of items and ranges from 0 to 10. We use mean of items to increase interpretability of findings when used with our other scales.
Permission is granted to use the scales. No modifications are permitted. Please contact the translator to inform him/her that you plan to use. Cite Dr. Marianne Weiss as author of the scale and also cite the translator in any publications.
Submissions from 2024
Ped-PDCDS Turkish, Marianne Weiss and Ayfer Ekim
PDCDS-Adult Korean, Marianne Weiss and Kim Jeoung Hee
PDCDS-Adult Bahasa Indonesian, Marianne Weiss and Azizah Khoiriyati
Ped-PDCDS Norwegian, Marianne Weiss and Nina Ellefsen Lindberg
PDCDS-Adult German, Marianne Weiss and Matthias Marsall
Ob-PDCDS Polish, Marianne Weiss and Malgorzata Nagorska
Ped-PDCDS German, Marianne Weiss and Gaby Stoffel
PDCDS - Adult Portugese (Brazil), Marianne Weiss and Clediane Trindade
Ob-PDCDS Chinese, Marianne Weiss and Lili Wei
Submissions from 2015
Ob-PDCDS Spanish, Marianne Weiss and Gabriella Malagon-Maldonado
Submissions from 2009
Ob-PDCDS English, Marianne Weiss
Submissions from 2008
Ped-PDCDS English, Marianne Weiss
Submissions from 2007
PDCDS-Adult English, Marianne Weiss