Sufficient Validity Research Articles

Measurement properties of the Traumatic Brain Injury Quality of Life (TBI-QoL) and Spinal Cord Injury Quality of Life (SCI-QoL) measurement systems: a systematic review

PurposeTraumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury impact all areas of individuals’ quality of life. A synthesis of available evidence for the Traumatic Brain Injury Quality of Life (TBI-QoL) and Spinal Cord Injury Quality of Life (SCI-QoL) measurement systems could inform evidence-based clinical practice and research. Thus, we aimed to systematically review the literature of existing evidence on the measurement properties of SCI-QoL and TBI-QoL among rehabilitation populations.MethodsWe used the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) framework for evaluating measures to guide this systematic review. We searched nine electronic databases and registries, and hand-searched reference lists of included articles. Two independent reviewers screened selected articles and extracted the data. We used COSMIN’s thresholds to synthesize measurement properties evidence (insufficient, sufficient), and the modified GRADE approach to synthesize evidence quality (very-low, low, moderate, high).ResultsWe included 16 studies for SCI-QoL and 14 studies for TBI-QoL. Both measurement systems have sufficient content validity, structural validity, internal consistency and construct validity across nearly all domains (GRADE: high). Most SCI-QoL domains and some TBI-QoL domains have sufficient evidence of cross-cultural validity and test–retest reliability (GRADE: moderate-high). Besides the cognition domains of TBI-QoL, which have indeterminate evidence for measurement error and sufficient evidence for responsiveness (GRADE: high), there is no additional evidence available for these measurement properties.ConclusionRehabilitation researchers and clinicians can use SCI-QoL and TBI-QoL to describe and evaluate patients. Further evidence of measurement error, responsiveness, and predictive validity would advance the use and interpretation of SCI-QoL and TBI-QoL in rehabilitation.

Simplified Medication Adherence Questionnaire (SMAQ) for People Living With HIV in a National Hospital in Mexico: Instrument Validation Study.

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy is a critical component in achieving viral suppression in people living with HIV in addition to increasing overall quality of life. Several indirect methods have been used to measure adherence including the Simplified Medication Adherence Questionnaire (SMAQ). The objective of this study is to evaluate the reliability and validity of the SMAQ in men living with HIV/AIDS attending a Mexican national hospital. A cross-sectional analytical design study was carried out in a Mexican National Hospital in Jalisco, including men aged >18 years with at least 3 months of antiretroviral treatment, excluding those with cognitive difficulties in answering the survey. A minimum sample size was calculated to detect the contribution of the variables within the model. The analysis included descriptive tests, confirmatory factor analysis, reliability and validity assessment, correlation between adherence and viral load, and association between viral load and adherence. The final analysis included a total of 260 patients with a mean age of 43 (SD 12) years and an average of 8.97 (SD 6.33) years on antiretroviral treatment. The SMAQ showed sufficient structural validity (comparative fit index=1, root-mean-square error of approximation=0, 90% CI 0-0.085) with satisfactory factor loadings on most questions except item 2 (Do you always take your medication at the prescribed time?). The reliability of the scale is acceptable (Cronbach α=0.702, ω=0.718). Adherence correlated with viral load significantly but not with recent TCD4 lymphocyte levels. Patients classified as adherent were three times more likely to be undetectable than nonadherent patients (odds ratio 3.31, 95% CI 1.13-9.64, P=.04). The SMAQ represents an adequate tool to assess adherence in men living with HIV in the Mexican context, this will contribute to this study and compression of adherence to establish future intervention programs.

Development and validation of a Malay version questionnaire for assessing risk perception of type 2 diabetes (RPDM).

The burden of type 2 diabetes is increasing globally. Risk perception of type 2 diabetes plays an important role in motivating adoption of healthy lifestyle and preventive health interventions. To address the increasing burden of type 2 diabetes in Malaysia, a better understanding on its risk perception is needed as a guide for preventive interventions. This study was aimed at developing and validating a Malay-language questionnaire to assess the risk perception of type 2 diabetes (RPDM) among Malaysians. The questionnaire (RPDM) was developed based on the Health Belief Model and previous literature. A 59-item question pool was initially developed, reviewed by experts for content validity and pretested on five respondents. Different samples were used for pilot study (n = 100) and subsequent validation study (n = 158). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to evaluate construct validity and construct reliability of the questionnaire. The EFA yielded five-factors model, including 48 items with good factor loadings of > 0.40. CFA was carried out using item parceling. The final model shows acceptable model fit and had sufficient convergent and discriminant validity. The value of construct reliability ranged between 0.76 and 0.90. This newly developed and validated Malay-language RPDM questionnaire is valid and reliable for measuring the five constructs (perceived self-efficacy, perceived severity, perceived benefit, perceived susceptibility and perceived barrier) of risk perception of type 2 diabetes among Malaysians. This Malay-language questionnaire may contribute to a better understanding of risk perception of type 2 diabetes among Malaysians, as well as enhancement of diabetes prevention communication between healthcare providers and their clients.

Psychometric properties of the self-report questionnaire on occupational balance in university students with game addiction

Background: The prevalence of adolescents and young adults playing games on the internet is increasing worldwide. However, excessive game playing can cause game addiction among adolescents. Studies have demonstrated that game addiction increases the risks of physical and mental health problems, leading to occupational performance issues. Nevertheless, what level of game addiction impacts occupational health issues is controversial. Therefore, this study focused on occupational balance, an individual’s perception of a proper amount and diversity of activities. The study demonstrated that occupational imbalance could lead to a decrease in an individual’s occupational performance. However, an appropriate instrument for screening occupational balance in young adults with game addiction has never been studied yet, especially in a Thai version. Objective: This study aimed to develop a self-report questionnaire on occupational balance for Thai university students with game addiction. Materials and methods: The questionnaire consisted of 21 items divided into four dimensions, including the individual’s perceptions of participating in meaningful activities, having the proper proportion of time to perform occupations, having the appropriate variety of professions, and being satisfied with their health and well-being. In addition, the psychometric properties of a questionnaire were investigated. Results: The questionnaire had sufficient validity and good internal consistency for screening occupational balance in Thai university students with game addiction. The questionnaire was divided into four dimensions, each with good construct validity and internal consistency. Conclusion: The questionnaire was valid and reliable for evaluating occupational balance for Thai university students with game addiction. This information can provide a new occupational therapy instrument for identifying occupational balance in the population with game addiction.

Patient reported tools for assessing potential medicine-related symptoms: A systematic review.

Medicine-related symptom assessment tools have been developed to assist healthcare professionals in detecting potential medicine-related symptoms. This systematic review aimed to identify and evaluate the measurement properties of medicine-related symptom assessment tools. A systematic search was conducted in Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, Ovid PsychInfo, and SCOPUS databases up to March 16, 2024. The primary studies that described either the development or measurement properties of a tool for identifying medicine-related symptoms were included. Screening and data extraction was done independently by two reviewers using Covidence. The methodological risk of bias and assessment results of reported measurement properties were evaluated using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria, reporting on nine unique tools. All included tools had sufficient content validity assessment results. The PHArmacotherapeutical Symptom Evaluation-20 (PHASE-20) had adequate to very good methodological quality internal consistency, construct validity, and reliability. The Patient-Reported Adverse Drug Event Questionnaire also showed adequate methodological quality with sufficient reliability, criterion validity, and construct validity but required over 30min to complete. The PHASE-proxy exhibited adequate to very good methodological quality, with sufficient results in criterion validity, structural validity, internal consistency, and reliability. The Patient-Reported Outcome Measure Inquiry into Side-Effects showed sufficient content validity but lacked data on other measurement properties. The majority of the identified tools were tested for one or more measurement properties. Among these tools, PHASE-20 is suitable for assessing medicine-related symptoms in elderly individuals who can participate independently, while PHASE-Proxy is for older adults with dementia or communication disabilities in nursing homes.

A Reliability and Validity of the Korean Version of Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale-Short Form: A Community Sample of Adults

Background: The behavioral activation method is a short-term, evidence-based approach that promotes functional activation by reinforcing adaptive behaviors and eliminating avoidance behaviors. This study aims to validate the Korean version of the Behavior Activation for Depression Scale-Short Form (K-BADS-SF) among Korean community adults, providing an objective measure of behavioral activation.Methods: A total of 471 participants, ranging in age from 18 to 69 years, completed an online survey. They filled out the K-BADS-SF and its long-form version, the K-BADS, as well as the Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Activation System (BIS/BAS) scales, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). The K-BADS-SF was subject to a thorough psychometric evaluation, which included analyzing internal consistency, test-retest reliability, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and both convergent and discriminant validity analyses.Results: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses show that the model fit of the K-BADS-SF improves when certain items from the original scale are moved from the activation factor to the avoidance factor.Conclusions: The K-BADS-SF exhibits sufficient reliability and validity in the Korean community sample, confirming its effectiveness as a valuable tool for assessing behavioral activation.

Measurement Properties and Determinants of the 6-Minute Walk Test in Patients with Lower Limb Lymphedema.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability and identify determinants of the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) in patients with lower limb lymphedema (LLL). Methods and Results: The study included 28 patients with LLL and 28 healthy subjects. To investigate the convergent validity and determinants of the 6MWT, patients were assessed using the following measurements: circumference measurement for lymphedema severity, hand-held dynamometry for muscle strength, time up and go for functional mobility, five-time sit-to-stand test for functional lower extremity strength, Lower Extremity Functional Scale for lower extremity functionality, Lymphedema Life Impact Scale for quality of life, and International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form for physical activity level. The test-retest reliability of the 6MWT was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). 6MWT, a test-retest reliability analysis was carried out with 28 patients within 3-7 days. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was employed to determine the cut-off point of 6MWT. The test-retest reliability of 6MWT was detected as excellent (ICC [95%] 0.93 [0.87-0.97]). Significant correlations were found between the 6MWT health-related and disease-specific parameters, indicating sufficient convergent validity (r ≥ 0.3). The ROC curve indicated a cut-off point of 504 meters (area under the curve [AUC] 0.712 [95%CI: 0.575-0.849]). Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that lymphedema severity, hip abduction muscle strength, and lower limb functionality were the predictors of 6MWT. Conclusions: The 6MWT has been shown to be a reliable and valid tool for assessing the functional capacity of patients with LLL.

Patients' sense of medical gain on family doctor contracting services in China: scale development and preliminary validation

Background and aimThe system of family doctor contract services is a crucial component of China's primary healthcare system. Patients enrolled in family doctor contract services typically receive more comprehensive health services. However, it remains uncertain whether the family doctor contract services can fully meet the healthcare needs of patients. Despite extensive research on family doctor contract services, there has been relatively little investigation from the perspective of patients' sense of gain, and there are no specific tools available to measure patients' sense of gain in healthcare. Therefore, this study aims to develop a scale to measure patients' sense of gain in family doctor contract services.MethodsThis study enrolled 600 patients under family doctor contracts. It utilized a review of literature and Delphi expert consultation to form the concept of patients' sense of medical gain in the context of family doctor services, establish an item pool, screen items, and evaluate the scale's reliability and validity. Factor analysis assessed the scale's structural validity, while Cronbach's alpha coefficient evaluated its internal consistency. Test–retest reliability and split-half reliability were used to assess the scale's reliability.ResultsThe Patients' Sense of Medical Gain in the context of Family Doctor services(PSMG-FD) scale for assessing sense of medical gain among family doctor contract patients comprises 19 items, categorized into five factors: Medical convenience, continuity, reliability, humanistic care, and experience. Confirmatory factor analysis results indicated satisfactory fit indices: χ2/df = 2.781, RMSEA = 0.077, RMR = 0.031, GFI = 0.875, NFI = 0.918, IFI = 0.946, TLI = 0.934, CFI = 0.945, and RFI = 0.901. The AVE values for different dimensions were 0.544, 0.739, 0.741, 0.755, and 0.654, all surpassing the threshold of 0.5. The CR values for each dimension were 0.820, 0.919, 0.919, 0.925, and 0.850, all exceeding 0.7, indicating satisfactory convergent validity. The interdimensional correlation coefficients were lower than the square roots of the corresponding AVEs, suggesting correlation among latent variables while maintaining sufficient discriminant validity. The PSMG-FD scale demonstrated good reliability and validity, with a Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.947, test–retest reliability of 0.955, and split-half reliability of 0.895.ConclusionThe scale exhibits good reliability and validity, making it a suitable instrument for evaluating sense of medical gain among family doctor contract patients in China.

Emotional Touch Nursing Competencies Model of the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Instrument Validation Study.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is transforming the health care sector through advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and big data, leading to new expectations for rapid and accurate treatment. While the integration of technology in nursing tasks is on the rise, there remains a critical need to balance technological efficiency with empathy and emotional connection. This study aims to develop and validate a competency model for emotional touch nursing that responds to the evolving demands of the changing health care environment. The aims of our study are to develop an emotional touch nursing competencies model and to verify its reliability and validity. A conceptual framework and construct factors were developed based on an extensive literature review and in-depth interviews with nurses. The potential competencies were confirmed by 20 experts, and preliminary questions were prepared. The final version of the scale was verified through exploratory factor analysis (n=255) and confirmatory factor analysis (n=256) to assess its validity and reliability. From the exploratory analysis, 8 factors and 38 items (client-centered collaborative practice, learning agility for nursing, nursing professional commitment, positive self-worth, compliance with ethics and roles, nursing practice competence, nurse-client relationship, and nursing sensitivity) were extracted. These items were verified through convergent and discriminant validity testing. The internal consistency reliability was acceptable (Cronbach α=0.95). The findings from this study confirmed that this scale has sufficient validity and reliability to measure emotional touch nursing competencies. It is expected to be used to build a knowledge and educational system for emotional touch nursing.

A beginner's guide to supervised analysis for mass cytometry data in cancer biology.

Mass cytometry enables deep profiling of biological samples at single-cell resolution. This technology is more than relevant in cancer research due to high cellular heterogeneity and complexity. Downstream analysis of high-dimensional datasets increasingly relies on machine learning (ML) to extract clinically relevant information, including supervised algorithms for classification and regression purposes. In cancer research, they are used to develop predictive models that will guide clinical decision making. However, the development of supervised algorithms faces major challenges, such as sufficient validation, before being translated into the clinics. In this work, we provide a framework for the analysis of mass cytometry data with a specific focus on supervised algorithms and practical examples of their applications. We also raise awareness on key issues regarding good practices for researchers curious to implement supervised ML on their mass cytometry data. Finally, we discuss the challenges of supervised ML application to cancer research.

A systematic review and mapping exercise to assess the content validity of patient-reported outcome measures for adults having reconstructive surgery of the lower limb.

Lower limb reconstruction (LLR) has a profound impact on patients, affecting multiple areas of their lives. Many patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are employed to assess these impacts; however, there are concerns that they do not adequately capture all outcomes important to patients, and may lack content validity in this context. This review explored whether PROMs used with adults requiring, undergoing, or after undergoing LLR exhibited content validity and adequately captured outcomes considered relevant and important to patients. A total of 37 PROMs were identified. Systematic searches were performed to retrieve content validity studies in the adult LLR population, and hand-searches used to find PROM development studies. Content validity assessments for each measure were performed following Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health measurement Instruments (COSMIN) guidelines. A mapping exercise compared all PROMs to a conceptual framework previously developed by the study team ('the PROLLIT framework') to explore whether each PROM covered important and relevant concepts. The systematic searches found 13 studies, while hand searches found 50 PROM development studies, and copies of all 37 measures. Although several studies discussed content validity, none were found which formally assessed this measurement property in the adult LLR population. Development of many PROMs was rated as inadequate, no PROM had sufficient content validity in the study population, and none covered all areas of the PROLLIT framework. The LIMB-Q was the most promising and comprehensive measure assessed, although further validation in a wider sample of LLR patients was recommended. Current PROMs used in adults requiring, undergoing, or after undergoing LLR lack content validity and do not assess all important and relevant outcomes. There is an urgent need for improved outcome measurement in this population. This can be achieved through development of a new PROM, or through validation of existing measures in representative samples.

Spatiotemporal Monitoring of Cropland Soil Organic Carbon Changes From Space.

Soil monitoring requires accurate and spatially explicit information on soil organic carbon (SOC) trends and changes over time. Spatiotemporal SOC models based on Earth Observation (EO) satellite data can support large-scale SOC monitoring but often lack sufficient temporal validation based on long-term soil data. In this study, we used repeated SOC samples from 1986 to 2022 and a time series of multispectral bare soil observations (Landsat and Sentinel-2) to model high-resolution cropland SOC trends for almost four decades. An in-depth validation of the temporal model uncertainty and accuracy of the derived SOC trends was conducted based on a network of 100 long-term monitoring sites that were continuously resampled every 5 years. While the general SOC prediction accuracy was high (R2 = 0.61; RMSE = 5.6 g kg-1), the direct validation of the derived SOC trends revealed a significantly greater uncertainty (R2 = 0.16; p < 0.0001), even though predicted and measured values showed similar distributions. Classifying the results into declining and increasing SOC trends, we found that 95% of all sites were either correctly identified or predicted as stable (p < 0.001), highlighting the potential of our findings. Increased accuracies for SOC trends were found in soils with higher SOC contents (R2 = 0.4) and sites with reduced tillage (R2 = 0.26). Based on the signal-to-noise ratio and temporal model uncertainty, we were able to show that the necessary time frame to detect SOC trends strongly depends on the absolute SOC changes present in the soils. Our findings highlight the potential to generate significant cropland SOC trend maps based on EO data and underline the necessity for direct validation with repeated soil samples and long-term SOC measurements. This study marks an important step toward the usability and integration of EO-based SOC maps for large-scale soil carbon monitoring.

Patient-reported outcome measures for post-COVID-19 condition: a systematic review of instruments and measurement properties

ObjectivesPost-COVID-19 condition (PCC), also referred to as Long COVID, has become an emerging public health issue requiring adequate prevention, treatment and management strategies. Evaluating these strategies from the patients’ perspective...

Lifestyle Profile Scale for Gravida with Urinary Incontinence: scale development and psychometric testing in Chinese Mainland

ObjectivesA significant number of women may experience urinary incontinence (UI) during pregnancy. While lifestyle modifications are recommended as important measures for preventing and treating UI, little is known about the...

The Arabic Oswestry Disability Index is a Unidimensional Measure: Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis.

Cross-sectional study. To evaluate the structural validity of the Arabic version of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) in patients with low back pain (LBP). The Arabic ODI is currently used in clinical and research settings to assess disability, but questions remain regarding its structural validity. Adult patients with LBP were recruited from physical therapy departments of two hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Participants completed the Arabic ODI and the Numeric Pain Rating Scale. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were conducted to examine the factor structure of the ODI. Maximum likelihood extraction and parallel analysis were used in the EFA, and the goodness-of-fit indices (Chi-square statistics (χ2), Tucker-Lewis index (TLI), comparative-fit index (CFI), root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) and standardized root mean residual (SRMR)) were assessed in the CFA to confirm the factor structure. A total of 113 patients (47.8% Male, 52.2% Female) participated. The EFA identified a unidimensional structure for the Arabic ODI, with one factor explaining 45.8% of the total variance. All items had significant factor loadings, with loadings ranging from 0.48 (sleeping) to 0.84 (sex life and social life). The CFA confirmed this unidimensional structure, yielding good fit indices (χ²=49.53, P<0.04; TLI=0.96; CFI=0.97; RMSEA=0.06 (90% CI=0.07-0.10), SRMR=0.04). All ODI items exhibited significant positive loadings consistent with the expected correlation between the single latent variable (LBP-related disability) and the ODI items. A high error covariance was observed between items related to walking and standing. The Arabic Oswestry Disability Index demonstrates sufficient structural validity as a unidimensional measure of disability in Arabic-speaking patients with low back pain. These findings support the continued use of the Oswestry Disability Index for disability assessment in clinical and research settings and support the validity of using one total score representing the single underlying latent construct. 3.

Development of a Japanese version of the Fresno test for family physicians to measure evidence‐based medicine competence

AbstractBackgroundThe Fresno test is a useful instrument for measuring the evidence‐based medicine (EBM) competence of family physicians and others. This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of the Fresno test.MethodsFirst, the original version of the Fresno test was translated into Japanese following the standard instrument translation procedure. Subsequently, family medicine residents and certified physicians took the Japanese version of the Fresno test to assess its validity and reliability.ResultsTranslation of the Fresno test into Japanese was completed successfully. A total of 39 participants took the test to verify reliability and validity. Family medicine specialists scored higher than majors (129.7 ± 36.0 vs. 100.6 ± 45.1, p = 0.036), which indicated high construct validity. Intra‐class correlation coefficient and Kappa value of all questions were above 0.7, which suggested sufficient reliability. Item difficulty and floor/ceiling effect also fulfilled pre‐determined criteria.ConclusionsThis study successfully developed a Japanese version of the Fresno test. This test has sufficient reliability and validity and is expected to be useful as an instrument in EBM education for physicians in the future.

Household chaos, emotion regulation and social adjustment in preschool children

Social adjustment is critical to preschool children’s overall development and well-being. Household chaos and emotion regulation are important influencing factors that affect young children’s social adjustment. Our study examines the interplay between household chaos and social adjustment among preschool children and investigates the mediating function of emotion regulation. Three parent report scales with sufficient reliability and validity were completed by parents from six kindergartens: the Confusion, Hubbub and Order Scale (CHAOS), Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC), and Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation (SCBE-30). The results showed that household chaos can directly and indirectly predict social adjustment via the intermediary effect of emotion regulation. Understanding and addressing household chaos, as well as supporting children in developing emotion regulation skills, can play a significant role in promoting social adjustment and mental health in preschool children.

Objective Structured Clinical Examination to Assess Patient Safety Competencies of Japanese Medical Students: Development and Validation Argument.

Background The growing emphasis on improving patient safety over the past two decades has received more focus in the undergraduate curricula, and the appropriate assessment of patient safety competencies at graduation is crucial in competency-based medical education. However, there is no valid method for assessing patient safety competencies because current assessment methods in medical education focus less on behavior. The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is a method to assess clinical performance and has been implemented by medical schools in Japan for summative assessment at graduation. However, stations with sufficient validity to assess patient safety competencies have not yet been developed. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate, under a contemporary validity framework, an OSCE station for assessing patient safety competencies that students are expected to achieve at graduation from medical schools in Japan. Methods A validity argument was conducted using Messick's validity framework, which includes content, response process, relations to other variables, internal structure, and consequences. First, we applied a modified Delphi study to develop OSCE stations for assessing patient safety competencies based on the national model core curriculum at graduation. The panel survey recruited members who have expertise in clinical education and patient safety. The draft stations simulated various situations associated with patient safety. Final-year medical students then took the OSCE. We analyzed the results of the OSCE, compared the scores with those of the clinical reasoning examination, and evaluated its reliability. Results Out of 30 panelists, 22 (73.3%) fully participated in the Delphi rounds. After two Delphi rounds, we established four stations to assess patient safety competencies. They met the content dimension of the validity framework. The OSCE results showed low correlation with clinical reasoning, suggesting that patient competencies cannot be inferred from clinical reasoning. Each station had satisfactory reliability. The entire process minimized possible assessment bias. Conclusions The OSCE scenario designed through the modified Delphi study met the five criteria of Messick's validity framework. The results show that it is a valid strategy for assessing patient safety competencies at graduation.

Advancing Precision Oncology with Digital and Virtual Twins: A Scoping Review.

Digital twins (DTHs) and virtual twins (VTHs) in healthcare represent emerging technologies towards precision medicine, providing opportunities for patient-centric healthcare. Our scoping review aimed to map the current DTH and VTH technologies in oncology, summarize their technical solutions, and assess their credibility. A systematic search was conducted in the main bibliographic databases, identifying 441 records, of which 30 were included. The studies covered a wide range of cancers, including breast, lung, colorectal, and gastrointestinal malignancies, with DTH and VTH applications focusing on diagnosis, therapy, and monitoring. The results revealed heterogeneity in targeted topics, technical approaches, and outcomes. Most twining solutions use synthetic or limited real-world data, raising concerns regarding their reliability. Few studies have integrated real-time data and machine learning for predictive modeling. Technical challenges include data integration, scalability, and ethical considerations, such as data privacy and security. Moreover, the evidence lacks sufficient clinical validation, with only partial credibility in most cases. Our findings underscore the need for multidisciplinary collaboration among end-users and developers to address the technical and ethical challenges of DTH and VTH systems. Although promising for the future of personalized oncology, substantial steps are required to move beyond experimental frameworks and to achieve clinical implementation.

Reliability and Validity of the Turkish Version of the Deglutition Handicap Index.

The Deglutition Handicap Index (DHI) is a self-reported questionnaire focus on dysphagia related quality of life of patients. The present study was aimed to translate the DHI into Turkish, and investigate the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the DHI (T-DHI). A total of 100 patients with different diagnoses participated. The study was carried out in 3 phases including translation, reliability and validation phases. The translation phase was performed by the forward-backward-forward translation methodology. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability were used for reliability phase. The criterion validity of the T-DHI was investigated for validation phase. The Cronbach's alpha value of the T-DHI was 0.93 of which indicates excellent internal consistency. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient ranged from 0.96 to 0.99 for test-retest reliability. There was negative and weak correlation between functional subscale score from the T-DHI and the Functional Oral Intake Scale (r=-0.29, p = 0.004), and positive and moderate to strong correlations between total and subscale scores from the T-DHI and the Turkish version of the Eating Assessment Tool (r = 0.67-0.78, p < 0.001) indicating sufficient criterion validity. The T-DHI is a reliable and valid questionnaire to define dysphagia related quality of life of patients. Clinicians could be used the T-DHI during swallowing evaluation part during the management process of deglutition disorders to plan patient centered rehabilitation, improve care and follow up.