The Spanish and Catalan versions of the Kidney Patient Reported Experience Measure (PREM) for chronic kidney disease (CKD): cultural adaptation and face validity

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive condition affecting more than 800 million individuals worldwide. Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) are questionnaires aimed at evaluating patients’ experiences with healthcare received. Given that CKD management often involves continuous treatments, capturing patient experiences can guide improvements in care that align with patients’ preferences, making PREMS a relevant tool in CKD management. The Kidney PREM questionnaire was developed in the United Kingdom to measure patient experience across entire service provisions in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study aimed to adapt the English version to Spanish and Catalan and assess the face validity of the new language versions. Methods: The translation process was guided by the International Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcome Research (ISPOR) Principles of Good Practice for the Translation and Cultural Adaptation of Patient‑Reported Outcomes Measures and included forward and back translation, cognitive debriefing, and harmonisation between the Spanish and Catalan versions. Face validity was assessed in a sample of Spanish- and Catalan-speaking health professionals. Results: In the cognitive debriefing, 9 patients with CKD (4 in Catalan and 5 in Spanish) participated. Fourteen healthcare professionals (2 nurses and 12 nephrologists) assessed the face validity of the Catalan and Spanish versions. Overall, the language used in the original version of the questionnaire did not cause substantial problems for translation into Catalan or Spanish. Patients generally found the questionnaire to be relevant and relatively easy to complete but reported some difficulties with questionnaire design, including the use of ‘skip’ questions. Clinicians and nurses highly rated the questionnaire in terms of relevance (mean score of 8.7 on a 0-10 scale) and acceptability, indicating good face validity, but considered some elements to be lacking, such as the absence of an open-ended question or any queries regarding lifestyle. Conclusions: It was feasible to produce culturally adapted Spanish and Catalan versions of the Kidney PREM questionnaire, and they showed acceptable face validity. They will be useful tools for furthering research and clinical practice in CKD patients in Spain.