Development of a French Version of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-Revised: A Pilot Study of Palliative Care Patients' Perspectives.

BACKGROUND

The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-revised (ESAS-r) is a nine-item self-report symptom intensity tool developed for palliative care patients, with the option of adding a 10th patient-specific symptom. Due to growing international uptake, the ESAS-r has been translated into different languages. There has not been agreement, however, regarding a standard process for translation into multiple languages, which also includes patients' perspectives.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to develop a French version of the ESAS-r, using a standardized translation protocol, and to obtain palliative care patients' perspectives regarding this translated tool.

DESIGN

We developed a French version of the ESAS-r, using a standard translation method, involving both professional translators (n = 2) and bilingual palliative care experts (n = 3). Fifteen Francophone participants recruited from palliative care sites in two urban centers in Canada completed the ESAS-r and provided feedback on the translation, in the presence of a trained interviewer. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data, respectively.

SETTING/SUBJECTS: Fifteen Francophone participants were recruited from palliative care sites in two urban centers in Canada.

MEASUREMENTS

Participants completed the ESAS-r and provided feedback on the translation in the presence of a trained interviewer. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data, respectively.

RESULTS

Based on participants' concerns, translations for four of the nine symptoms were revised: drowsiness, nausea, lack of appetite, and shortness of breath. Concerns expressed for three additional symptoms (depression, anxiety, and well-being) were related to overall difficulty rating these symptoms, not specific to the translation.

CONCLUSION

The French version of the ESAS-r is a credible tool for symptom assessment in Francophone patients. The study findings provide a vital step in the development of a standardized translation protocol, including patients' perspectives, which can be applied to other languages.