Cultural adaptation of the Polish version of the PAH-SYMPACT questionnaire (PL)

Abstract Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare chronic disease that significantly affects patients' ability to perform daily activities, decreasing physical and mental well-being and social functioning. Symptoms of the disease increase as it progresses, leading to disability and death. In addition, the quality of life of patients deteriorates as the disease progresses and may reflect the effectiveness of the therapy used. Most questionnaires used in PAH clinical trials are generic quality-of-life (QoL) measures that may do not adequately reflect the clinical status and symptoms, changes in health status, or prognosis of patients with PAH. The purpose of this study was to translate and culturally adapt the Polish version of the PAH-SYMPACT questionnaire to reflect the severity of symptoms and their effects on patients’ daily functioning. Material and methods: The study included 55 patients with PAH treated, as part of a pulmonary hypertension treatment program in Poland. Validation of this questionnaire met the guidelines for translation and validation of questionnaires, which are set out in the document on the process of translation and adaptation of World Health Organization tools. Reliability was tested using a measure of internal consistency (Cronbach's α) and test-retest reliability. Correctness was confirmed using known group validity.Results: Moderate internal consistency (Cronbach's) was found for all questionnaire domains (cardiopulmonary symptoms α=0.706; cardiovascular symptoms α=0.806, physical effects α=0.904, psychological effects α=0.817) and test-retest reliability was satisfactory. The PAH-SYMPACT questionnaire (PL) met all validation criteria and can be used to assess quality of life in patients with PAH.Conclusion: Psychometric evaluation of the Polish version of the PAH-SYMPACT (PL) indicates that it is a reliable and valid measure tool to detect quality of life patients with PAH.