Cultural and Linguistic Adaptation for the Romanian Language Version of the Cardiff Acne Disability Index: A Pilot Study on the Web-Based Experience of Cognitive Debriefing

Abstract

Background The Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI) is a validated measurement instrument for quality of life evaluation in young patients with acne. The original version was designed in English, and it has been translated to other languages. An adaptation for the Romanian language was lacking. Objective The main objective of this study was to evaluate the comprehensibility of the Romanian language adaptation of the CADI in a small sample of patients with acne. Methods Guided by the team at Cardiff University, we conducted the stages of the standardized translation process—forward translation, the reconciliation of translated versions, back translation, and cognitive debriefing. The cognitive debriefing stage involved applying the CADI to a small sample of patients. This was followed by individual interviews in which each question was discussed. Ethical approval was obtained for the cognitive debriefing stage. We administered this measure as a web-based form. The completion times for each individual question and for the entire survey were automatically recorded. The interviews for assessing comprehensibility and suitability for the Romanian language and culture were also held as live, web-based meetings. Results A total of 7 patients with acne—4 females and 3 males—aged between 19 and 34 years were included. All subjects were native speakers of the Romanian language. They had mild or moderate acne. The mean completion time for the survey was 3.28 minutes. The mean score for the CADI was 5.4286. All participants agreed that the language used in this quality of life measurement instrument was simple, clear, and adequate for their native language. Conclusions Despite the epidemiologic restrictions against COVID-19, through teledermatology, we achieved cultural adaptation for the CADI in a language that previously lacked a specific tool for assessing quality of life impairment in patients with acne. Conflicts of Interest CMS receives royalties from Springer Nature, consulting fees from Vichy International, and support for attending meetings from Leo Pharma. SC has no conflicts of interest.