Conceptual equivalence of items and semantic equivalence of the Brazilian version of the EORTC QLQ-ELD14 instrument to evaluate the quality of life of elderly people with cancer

Abstract

Abstract Objective: to describe the process of semantic equivalence, the first stage in the validation of the EORTC QLQ-ELD14 instrument for Brazilian Portuguese. Method: Direct and independent translations of the instrument into Portuguese were carried out and validated by a meeting of experts to generate a synthesis version. The version chosen was submitted to reverse translations into English, and the form was pre-tested with patients. At the conclusion of the process, a summary version was presented. The pre-test and the final version of the instrument were applied to a total of 28 patients at a high complexity oncology treatment center. Result: after completion of the first round of pretesting, some adjustments for the next phase of the study were necessary by the expert committee. After these adjustments, in the second phase of pre-testing, the instrument was well-accepted by the population. Conclusion: the Portuguese summary version of the EORTC QLQ-ELD14 instrument for assessing the quality of life of elderly cancer patients is ready to be submitted to the next stages of the evaluation of its psychometric properties.