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Translating Surveys and Other Materials

NOTE: The contract that supports the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) program expired on June 27, 2012. This will result in a delay in updating the data that compose the CAHPS Database for the SECOND HALF OF CALENDAR YEAR 2012. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is now working to award a new CAHPS contract, and when it is in place, the benchmarking database will be updated with the latest data available, including data collected in 2012.

To receive additional guidance on the Supplemental items and placement instructions, go to the “Get Surveys and Instructions” page for the survey you are interested in.

If you need to field a CAHPS survey in a language other than English or Spanish, please review the following guidelines and recommendations. The CAHPS grantees have developed these guidelines for the translation and cultural adaptation of CAHPS surveys to support users both in the U.S. and internationally. These guidelines have been reviewed and tested by various government agencies and private organizations (such as health plans).

Guidelines for Translating CAHPS Surveys (PDF, 95 KB; Plugin Software Help)

This guideline lays out a step-by-step process for producing a translated version of a CAHPS survey. Please note that these guidelines represent a change from previous recommendations, which relied on back-translations. Based on experience translating surveys during the CAHPS2 program, the CAHPS Consortium recommends the use of two simultaneous translators and a translation review to ensure the quality and cultural appropriateness of the translated instrument.

The Assessment and Selection of Translators and Translation Reviewers (PDF, 61 KB; Plugin Software Help)

This guideline explains the roles of the translator and the translation reviewer, the qualifications necessary for each, and the process of selecting individuals or translation firms to fulfill these roles.

General Recommendations

Make it Linguistically Relevant

If you decide to produce your own translation of CAHPS survey materials, it must accurately reflect the content and intent of the English questionnaire. In other words, the meaning of the translated questions should be the same as that of the English questions.

Make it Culturally Relevant

The translation must also make sense from a cultural perspective. Direct the translators to produce colloquial questions and instructions that survey respondents can easily understand and use.

Test It With Non-English Speakers

It helps to view the production of culturally and linguistically appropriate research instruments as a process. Developing an adequate translation is only the first step. Ideally, you should subject the translated instrument to qualitative analysis and psychometric testing to gauge the reliability, validity, and equivalence of the instrument in measuring the health needs of various subgroups.

For example, if you have the time, conduct cognitive testing of the translated questionnaire with a small group. Then revise the questionnaire as needed to address any areas of confusion or concern.

Share Your Work

If you produce a CAHPS survey in another language, please consider sharing it with the CAHPS User Network so that we can make it available to others as a resource.