Hausärztliche Begleitung in der letzten Lebensphase (HA-BeL): Systematische Entwicklung und Anpassung der deutschsprachigen Version des General Practice End of Life Care Index

Abstract

In Germany, no instruments exist to evaluate the practice and organisation of palliative care in general practice. The aim of this project was the systematic development and adjustment of a German version of the General Practice End of Life Care Index (GP-EoLC-I). The translation and adaptation process followed the TRAPD model: translation, review, adjudication, pre-test, documentation. The process was completed by a back translation, a first pre-test and a feasibility study with general practitioners. Nine of the ten general practitioners invited took part in the pre-test (56% female, median age 55 years, range 40-75). The pre-test showed a median processing time of 15minutes. 17 general practitioners (59% female, median age 53 years, range 39-69) took part in the pilot study. Adaptation to the German context was necessary for two of the 25 items. In the pre-test and in the pilot study only single values were missing. With the exception of the two adapted items, the back translation showed a high level of consistency with the original version of the questionnaire. The systematic development and testing of the questionnaire "Hausärztliche Begleitung in der letzten Lebensphase" (HA-BeL) as well as its adaptation for the primary care setting in Germany was successfully completed in a multi-stage process using an interdisciplinary and participatory approach. The results of this empirical testing provide guidance for expenditure and reasonableness, objectivity of application and content-related consistency of the HA-BeL index. The HA-BeL index is the first self-assessment instrument to be used by general practitioners to evaluate practice and organisation of palliative care in general practice in Germany.