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. 2016 Jul;25(7):1825-34.
doi: 10.1007/s11136-016-1235-4. Epub 2016 Feb 18.

Translation, validity and reliability of the British Sign Language (BSL) version of the EQ-5D-5L

Katherine D Rogers  1 , Mark Pilling  2 , Linda Davies  3 , Rachel Belk  4 , Catherine Nassimi-Green  4 , Alys Young  4
Affiliations

Translation, validity and reliability of the British Sign Language (BSL) version of the EQ-5D-5L

Katherine D Rogers et al. Qual Life Res. 2016 Jul.

Abstract

Purpose: To translate the health questionnaire EuroQol EQ-5D-5L into British Sign Language (BSL), to test its reliability with the signing Deaf population of BSL users in the UK and to validate its psychometric properties.

Methods: The EQ-5D-5L BSL was developed following the international standard for translation required by EuroQol, with additional agreed features appropriate to a visual language. Data collection used an online platform to view the signed (BSL) version of the tests. The psychometric testing included content validity, assessed by interviewing a small sample of Deaf people. Reliability was tested by internal consistency of the items and test-retest, and convergent validity was assessed by determining how well EQ-5D-5L BSL correlates with CORE-10 BSL and CORE-6D BSL.

Results: The psychometric properties of the EQ-5D-5L BSL are good, indicating that it can be used to measure health status in the Deaf signing population in the UK. Convergent validity between EQ-5D-5L BSL and CORE-10 BSL and CORE-6D BSL is consistent, demonstrating that the BSL version of EQ-5D-5L is a good measure of the health status of an individual. The test-retest reliability of EQ-5D-5L BSL, for each dimension of health, was shown to have Cohen's kappa values of 0.47-0.61; these were in the range of moderate to good and were therefore acceptable.

Conclusions: This is the first time EQ-5D-5L has been translated into a signed language for use with Deaf people and is a significant step forward towards conducting studies of health status and cost-effectiveness in this population.

Keywords: British Sign Language; Deaf population; EQ-5D-5L; Psychometric properties; Translation.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Example of the on-screen EQ-5D-5L in BSL
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Bar chart showing the percentage with ‘no problems’ in each health domain of the EQ-5D
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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