Relevance (law)

Population

Economic growth

Clinical psychology

Cognitive interview

Mental health

Psychiatry

Philosophy

Cognition

Political science

Psychology

Health care

Economics

Psychometrics

Linguistics

Gerontology

Comprehension

Content validity

Medicine

Environmental health

Clinical Gerontologist

Objectives: Measuring the perceived mental and physical health status of older adults living in long-term residential care (LTRC) is central to patient-centered care. This study examined the qualitative content validity of the Veterans RAND 12 Item Health Survey (VR-12) for LTRC and, based on the findings, the authors developed an adapted version of the generic patient-reported outcome measure for this population.Methods: Content validity was evaluated in two steps: (1) initial resident feedback (n = 9) and research team consensus discussions and (2) cognitive interviews with residents (n = 18) and a research team consensus discussion. The cognitive interviews examined comprehension, acceptability, and relevance of the VR-12 items.Results: Two VR-12 items had limited acceptability in the LTRC setting, the reference to "work" in items was irrelevant to residents, and the lack of a frame of reference ("During the past week … ") impacted comprehension of several items.Conclusions: Study findings informed the development of an adapted version of the VR-12 for older adults living in Canadian LTRC homes and provided content validity evidence regarding its relevance and appropriateness for this population.Clinical implications: Measuring the health status of older adults living in LTRC can help to monitor changes in health status over time and support person-centered care.

Measuring Health Status in Long-Term Residential Care: Adapting the Veterans RAND 12 Item Health Survey (VR-12©)