Reliability and reproducibility of a Chinese-language visual function assessment.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Cataract surgery outcomes require reliable patient-reported visual function data.
• Cross-cultural adaptation of assessment tools is crucial for diverse patient populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate a Chinese-language visual function assessment (VFA) for routine cataract surgery evaluation.
• To determine the impact of questionnaire administration method on VFA reliability and validity.

Main Methods:

• Translated the English VFA into Chinese.
• Recruited Chinese patients (English-speaking and non-English-speaking) undergoing cataract surgery.
• Administered the questionnaire via in-person or telephone interviews; analyzed reliability and correlation with visual acuity.

Main Results:

• The Chinese VFA demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.97).
• High reliability and test-retest reproducibility were confirmed (ICC > 0.60).
• Administration method influenced reliability and reproducibility measures.

Conclusions:

• The Chinese VFA is a reliable and valid tool for clinical evaluation and research.
• This assessment is valuable in regions with significant Chinese-speaking populations.
• Self-administered questionnaires appear more reliable than interview-based assessments.