Translation and Transcultural Adaptation of the Instrument of Evaluation of Medical Education in Musculoskeletal Disorders

ABSTRACT Disorders of the musculoskeletal system represent between 10-25% of the reasons for consultations in primary care, however, only a small percentage of the undergraduate curriculum is dedicated to the study of this subject. Thus, it is necessary to develop objective instruments to assess this deficiency in medical schools. The Freedman and Bernstein questionnaire is an internationally validated tool for assessing basic medical knowledge of musculoskeletal disorders and, consequently, evaluate medical training. The objective of this study was to develop a version of the scale in the Portuguese language, validated and adapted transculturally for the Brazilian population. Transcultural translation and adaptation of the questionnaire was conducted following the steps of initial translation, back-translation, composition of a pre-final version and its test, making the necessary changes after this last phase and development of the final model of the instrument. The pre-final version was applied to the target audience of the research - 15 students in the last semester of Medicine. Each individual answered the questions from the survey and was then interviewed to analyze their understanding of what was expected in each item of the questionnaire. Both the interpretation of the question and the response were explored. There were difficulties in understanding two questions, making it necessary to substitute some terms to facilitate assimilation. After the changes, there were no impediments to the participants’ understanding of the final instrument. Content validation was assessed by a panel of experts who considered the terms and scope of the translated questionnaire appropriate. This assessment was made after the final test and no change was recommended. Thus, the questionnaire is translated into the Portuguese language, presenting semantic, idiomatic, conceptual and cultural equivalence with the original. Its use is recommended for the evaluation of the teaching of musculoskeletal disorders in the country’s medical schools, allowing a comparison of the Brazilian orthopedic curriculum with international standards.