Measuring Health Status in Long-Term Residential Care: Adapting the Veterans RAND 12 Item Health Survey (VR-12©)

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Services Research
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Assessing the health status of older adults in long-term residential care (LTRC) is crucial for patient-centered care.
• The Veterans RAND 12 Item Health Survey (VR-12) is a generic patient-reported outcome measure.
• Adaptation of the VR-12 is needed to ensure its relevance and appropriateness for the LTRC population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the qualitative content validity of the Veterans RAND 12 Item Health Survey (VR-12) for older adults in long-term residential care (LTRC).
• To develop an adapted version of the VR-12 based on content validity findings for this specific population.

Main Methods:

• Content validity was assessed through initial resident feedback (n=9) and research team consensus.
• Cognitive interviews with residents (n=18) were conducted to evaluate item comprehension, acceptability, and relevance.
• A research team consensus discussion was also part of the evaluation process.

Main Results:

• Two VR-12 items demonstrated limited acceptability within the LTRC setting.
• The reference to "work" in survey items was found to be irrelevant to LTRC residents.
• The absence of a specific time frame (e.g., "During the past week…") affected the comprehension of several items.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully informed the development of an adapted VR-12 version tailored for older adults in Canadian LTRC settings.
• Content validity evidence was established for the adapted VR-12, confirming its relevance and appropriateness.
• Measuring health status in LTRC using validated tools supports monitoring health changes and person-centered care.