title: Validation of the disease burden morbidity assessment by self-report in a French-speaking population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Disease Burden Morbidity Assessment (DBMA) is a self-report questionnaire used to estimate the disease burden experienced by patients. The aim of this study was to test and to measure the properties of the French translation of the DBMA (DBMA-Fv).
  
  
  METHODS
  The original version of the DBMA was translated into French (Canadian) and first assessed during cognitive interviews. In the validation study, patients recruited during consecutive consultation periods completed the DBMA-Fv questionnaire while they were in the waiting room of a primary care setting (T1). Participants completed the same questionnaire mailed to their home two weeks later (T2). Concomitant validity of the DBMA-Fv was assessed using the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS). Patient medical records were reviewed to verify chronic diseases and past medical history.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-seven patients were recruited and 85 (88%) returned the mailed questionnaires; 5 (5.9%) were incomplete. DBMA-Fv scores of the 80 participants with a complete questionnaire at T2 ranged from 0 to 30 (median 5.5, mean 7.7, SD = 7.0). Test-retest reliability of the DBMA-Fv was high (ICC: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.79-0.92). The DBMA-Fv and the CIRS correlated moderately at T1 (r = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.26 - 0.62, p < 0.01) and T2 (r = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.38 - 0.70, p < 0.01). The mean (SD) sensitivity of patient reports of a condition in relation to chart review at T2 was 73.9 (8.4) (range 62.5% to 90%). The overall mean (SD) specificity was 92.2 (6.7) (range 77.6% to 98.6%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The DBMA-Fv's properties are similar to its English counterpart as to its median sensitivity and specificity compared to chart reviews. It correlated moderately with an established index of multimorbidity. A high percentage of patients were able to complete the test correctly as a mail questionnaire and it showed high test-retest reliability.
authors.affiliation: Centre de santé et de services sociaux de Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada. Marie-Eve.Poitras@USherbrooke.ca
authors.forename: Marie-Eve
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Poitras
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fortin
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hudon
authors.forename: Jeannie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haggerty
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Almirall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057566:Self Report; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult