Exploring electronic conversion of behavioral instruments for telehealth.

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Psychometrics
• Digital Health

Background:

• Telehealth adoption is rapidly increasing, necessitating the adaptation of traditional behavioral assessment tools.
• Changes in display and presentation formats during electronic conversion can impact instrument reliability and validity.
• Evaluating the psychometric properties of adapted instruments is essential for accurate telehealth research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore critical considerations for the electronic conversion of psychometric instruments.
• To provide a methodology for testing the psychometric properties of converted instruments.
• To demonstrate the validation of an electronic quality of life instrument for telehealth.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on challenges in electronic conversion of psychometric tools.
• Development of a testing methodology for electronic instrument validation.
• Psychometric evaluation of a converted quality of life instrument (CQLI) for telehealth.

Main Results:

• Identified key concerns in adapting behavioral instruments for electronic formats.
• Demonstrated a robust methodology for assessing psychometric properties in telehealth contexts.
• The electronic version of the CQLI showed acceptable reliability and validity for telehealth use.

Conclusions:

• Electronic conversion of psychometric instruments requires careful consideration of display and presentation.
• Validated electronic instruments are vital for reliable and valid telehealth research and interventions.
• The methodology presented can guide the adaptation and validation of other behavioral instruments for telehealth.