French-Canadian translation of the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Review Revised (AMSTAR2): cross-cultural validation and inter-rater reliability

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to produce a French-Canadian translation of AMSTAR-2, to affirm its content validity, and to examine inter-rater reliability. Methods: Based on Vallerand's methodological approach, we conducted forward and parallel inverse-translations. Subsequently, an expert panel evaluated the translations to create a preliminary experimental French-Canadian version. A second expert panel examined this version and proposed additional modifications. Twenty future health professionals then rated the second experimental version for ambiguity on a scale (from 1 to 7). The principal co-investigators then reviewed the problematic elements and proposed a pre-official version. To ascertain content validity, a final back-translation was conducted resulting in the official version. Four judges evaluated 13 systematic reviews using the official French-Canadian version of AMSTAR-2. The Kappa coefficient was used to evaluate inter-rater reliability. Results: This rigorous adaptation enabled the development of a Franco-Canadian version of AMSTAR2. Its application demonstrated low ambiguity (mean 1.15; standard deviation 0.26) as well as good overall inter-rater reliability (total Kappa > 0.64) across all items. Conclusion: The French-Canadian version of AMSTAR-2 could now support francophone clinicians, educators, and managers in Canada as they undertake evidence-based practice.