Abstract
Background/aims: The Utrecht Symptom Diary - 4 Dimensional (USD-4D) is a PROM that gives patients the opportunity to indicate the extent of their four-dimensional symptom burden by means of short questions and to discuss these where this is required. The social and spiritual items of this PROM have not yet been validated. The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) describes how the construct validity of PROMs can be assessed. The question remains which COSMIN criteria for assessing construct validity are applicable in order to validate the social and spiritual items of the USD-4D.
Methods: A methodological study was carried out in March - June 2019. The meaning and background of construct validity were sought in the literature and on the COSMIN website. The data provided was set against the nature and characteristics of the USD-4D.
Results: The COSMIN taxonomy defines construct validity as one of three measurement properties within overall validity. It includes three points of attention: structure validity, hypothesis testing, and cross-culture validity. The USD-4D does not measure a specific construct such as "the spiritual dimension". Therefore, the structure validity does not have to be assessed. The items of the USD-4D are specifically developed for the Netherlands and are not cross-culturally translated, so cross-cultural validity is not relevant. Because the USD-4D consists of individual items, theoretically derived hypotheses can be created per item to assess the degree to which the scores are consistent with the hypotheses.
Conclusions: Due to the nature and characteristics of the USD-4D only hypotheses testing is relevant and appropriate in order to assess its construct validity. Statistical significant results will not mean a certain item is significant, but will mean that a certain item can distinct between certain patient groups. Other measurement properties of the USD-4Ds overall validity need to be assessed in different studies. Funding: ZonMw.
Methods: A methodological study was carried out in March - June 2019. The meaning and background of construct validity were sought in the literature and on the COSMIN website. The data provided was set against the nature and characteristics of the USD-4D.
Results: The COSMIN taxonomy defines construct validity as one of three measurement properties within overall validity. It includes three points of attention: structure validity, hypothesis testing, and cross-culture validity. The USD-4D does not measure a specific construct such as "the spiritual dimension". Therefore, the structure validity does not have to be assessed. The items of the USD-4D are specifically developed for the Netherlands and are not cross-culturally translated, so cross-cultural validity is not relevant. Because the USD-4D consists of individual items, theoretically derived hypotheses can be created per item to assess the degree to which the scores are consistent with the hypotheses.
Conclusions: Due to the nature and characteristics of the USD-4D only hypotheses testing is relevant and appropriate in order to assess its construct validity. Statistical significant results will not mean a certain item is significant, but will mean that a certain item can distinct between certain patient groups. Other measurement properties of the USD-4Ds overall validity need to be assessed in different studies. Funding: ZonMw.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | P01-346 |
| Journal | Palliative Medicine |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue number | Suppl_1 |
| Publication status | Published - 21 Sept 2020 |