[Semantic and conceptual equivalence of the observable indicatorsof Nursing Home Care Quality Instrument]

Long-term care facilities (LTCFs) for the elderly are an important health care alternative in the world, though Brazil does not yet have a valid instrument to monitor the quality of these institutions. This study sought to describe the initial stages of the cross-cultural adaptation of the Observable Indicators of Nursing Home Care Quality (OIQ) instrument used to assess the quality of care in LTCFs. Conceptual equivalence was conducted to assess the relevance and feasibility of the OIQ within the Brazilian context, using the Content Validity Index (CVI). The operational, idiomatic and semantic equivalence was then performed. This item consisted of 5 phases: (1) two translations; (2) the respective back translations; (3) formal appraisal; (4) review; and (5) application of the pre-test in three LTCFs. Significant changes were made to ensure the validity of the OIQ. The CVI instrument for the Brazilian contextwas 94.3% (viability) and 95.3% (relevance). The OIQ proved to be easy to understand and apply in the pre-test. Cross-cultural adaptation of the OIQ contributes to assessing and improving quality in Brazilian LTCFs, though the findings should be complemented by a psychometric evaluation of the instrument.