English translation and cross-cultural validation of the patient-reported outcome measurement-haemorrhoidal impact and satisfaction score (PROM-HISS)

Aim: The aim of this study was to translate the Dutch patient-reported outcome measure-haemorrhoidal impact and satisfaction score (PROM-HISS) to English and perform a cross-cultural validation.Method: The ISPOR good practice guidelines for the cross-cultural validation of PROMs were followed and included two steps: (1) Two forward and two backward translations. The forward translation concerned the translation from the source language (Dutch) to the target language (English), performed by two independent English speakers, one medical doctor and one nonmedical. Subsequently, a discussion about discrepancies in the reconciled version was performed by a stakeholder group. (2) Cognitive interviews were held with patients with haemorrhoidal disease (HD), probing the comprehensibility and comprehensiveness of the PROM-HISS.Results: Discrepancies in the reconciled forward translation concerned the terminology of HD symptoms. Furthermore, special attention was paid to the response options, ranging from "not at all", indicating minor symptoms, to "a lot", implying many symptoms. Consensus among the stakeholder group about the final version of the translated PROM-HISS was reached. Interviews were conducted with 10 native English-speaking HD patients (30% female), with a mean age of 44 years (24-83) and primarily diagnosed with grade II HD (80%). The mean time to complete the PROM-HISS was 1 min 43 s. Patients showed a good understanding of the questions and response options, found all items relevant and did not miss important symptoms or topics.Conclusion: The translated English language PROM-HISS is a valid tool to assess symptoms of HD, its impact on daily activities and patient satisfaction with HD treatment.