Validated Chinese Translation of the Fresno Test for Evidence-based Health Care Training

Abstract

Background: To elevate quality of care for the ever-increasing number of elderly patients in Taiwan, staff in geriatric medicine frequently attend training to promote evidence-based health care. However, such training programs must be effective. Evaluation of evidence-based health care training requires a valid instrument to assess learners' competence. The Fresno test has robust psychometric properties, but there is no validated Chinese translation of this tool yet available. Methods: The English Fresno test was translated into Chinese and then back-translated to English to ensure equivalence of concepts and semantics. First-year postgraduate physician trainees (novices) recruited from an evidence-based medical training program completed the Chinese Fresno test prior to and after the program. Experienced instructors (experts) in the program also completed the test for comparison. The correlation and consistency of the Chinese version were analyzed and validated. Results: Forty (20 experts and 20 novices) completed the tests. The inter-rater correlation ranged from 0.65 to 0.98. Internal consistency was good (Cronbach's α = 0.98). Item difficulty ranged from 23% to 72%. Item discrimination indices ranged from 0.40 to 0.90. Experts scored significantly higher than novices (experts = 165, novices = 93; p < 0.001). Test–retest correlation 2 weeks after the first test was 0.98 (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This Chinese version of the Fresno test is a reliable and valid instrument for evaluating evidence-based health care knowledge and skills.

Keywords

• elderly patient care
• evidence-based health care
• Fresno test
• translation
• validation