The Brazilian version of the telehealth usability questionnaire (telehealth usability questionnaire Brazil): translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and psychometric properties

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to translate and cross-culturally adapt the telehealth usability questionnaire into Brazilian Portuguese and to evaluate its psychometric properties. METHODS: This was a methodological validation study carried out in two phases. In phase 1, the telehealth usability questionnaire was cross-culturally adapted with 10 participants comprising the expert committee members, including 5 healthcare professionals with theoretical and practical knowledge of telehealth, 1 methodologist, and 4 translators. This phase was performed at Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora Physiotherapy Clinic School. In phase 2, the psychometric properties of telehealth usability questionnaire Brazil were analyzed. This phase included in-person assessments at Márcio Cunha Hospital, Minas Gerais. The recruitment period for both phases was from April 2020 to February 2021. Content validity, reliability, internal consistency, and criterion validity were analyzed. The criterion validity was evaluated using correlation with a validated instrument: the system usability scale. RESULTS: The telehealth usability questionnaire was adequately translated and cross-culturally adapted. The telehealth usability questionnaire Brazil presented an excellent content validity index of 0.96 with percentages of understanding higher than 90%. The telehealth usability questionnaire Brazil demonstrated great internal consistency (α=0.94 and ω=0.94), excellent intra-rater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.85, 95%CI 0.75–0.91), no difference between the test and retest [T (0.425), p>0.673], and no proportional bias (p=0.205). There was a moderate correlation between telehealth usability questionnaire Brazil and the system usability scale (r=0.52, p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: The telehealth usability questionnaire was adequately translated and cross-culturally adapted into Brazilian Portuguese and showed adequate psychometric properties for use in telehealth clinical practice and research in Brazilian-Portuguese-speaking individuals.