Validation of the Spanish electronic version of the BREAST-Q questionnaire.

Background: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) have gained considerable interest in health care moving beyond traditional outcome measures of morbidity and mortality. In breast cancer surgery, women's' perceptions of appearance, function and quality of life have become increasingly important. The BREAST-Q questionnaire is a validated PROM for use in cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgery in clinical practice. The objective of this study was to validate the Spanish electronic version of the BREAST-Q questionnaire, to verify the measurement equivalence of digital and paper versions and to identify the possible disadvantages and advantages of implementing this new tool.

Methods: The study population included 113 patients undergoing breast cancer survey at a single hospital in Barcelona (Spain) who were able to complete both the electronic and paper versions of the preoperative module of the BREAST-Q questionnaire.

Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) in the four domains of the questionnaire between the two versions of the questionnaire was >0.9, with a weighted kappa of >0.74 at item level. The reliability of the internal consistency was also excellent, with Cronbach's alpha coefficient of >0.70 in all domains. Age was a limiting factor for the delivery of the electronic version of BREAST-Q, with 69 years of age as the cut-off point to obtain reliable results.

Conclusions: The interchangeability of the electronic and paper versions of the BREAST-Q questionnaire facilitates implementation of this instrument in routine surgical oncological practice.