„Promis translation platform”

Abstract

Objective PROMIS® (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) is a set of person-centered measures for evaluating and monitoring physical and mental health and well-being in adults and children. PROMIS questionnaires are created in English, and in order to use them in non-English speaking countries they require a very precise translation. Translating PROMIS questionnaires is a complex, multi-stage, coordinated process in which many participants actively participate following the FACIT methodology. The authors aimed to develop an IT solution supporting the translation process and its effectiveness and efficiency. Material and methods The authors focused on supporting translating and creating the Translation Item History (TIH). The electronic TIH allows omitting sending back and forth spreadsheet files and speeds up the team's work. Each Translation Team Member (TTM) is considered a registered user since the platform enhances team formation and monitoring. The PROMIS translation platform becomes the only place to perform the translation tasks, and at the same time, it tracks and organizes every step of the translation process. The platform facilitates supervision over the process. Tasks are assigned to appropriate TTMs according to their roles during the process steps. The user logs in, selects the correct translation, fills in a simple form, and carries out the task according to the protocol. The platform notifies each TTM response and prompts another active TTM to the following task. TTMs can observe all tasks in the dashboard as the list of issues to be done. Introduced mechanism enhances the performance of multiple translations simultaneously and speeds up the process. The system does not allow access to the translated text or unauthorized changes to it. The application generates and stores the Item Translation History. Application use allows obtaining the final questionnaire in a standardized form as a PDF file. The final translation of items in target should have the same meaning as previously developed. Conclusions The translation platform application based on the open-source solutions serves as a supportive tool for obtaining the final version of the verified quality translation with supervised creation of TIH.