The I-CAM-FR: A French Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the I-CAM-Q

Background: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is growing every year. The extent of its use is still not clear, and it is difficult to undertake comparative studies due to the variety of data collection tools used. Therefore, a standardized International Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire (I-CAM-Q) has been recommended to determine data about its usage. The purpose of the present study is to present a controlled translation of the questionnaire into French which is also properly adapted to a French audience. Methods: The English-written questionnaire, the I-CAM-Q, was submitted to three independent translators. Each translator produced a separate French translation (FT.1.1, FT.1.2, FT.1.3) that was then synthesized into a unique new version (FT.2.0). Version FT.2.0 was then submitted to three new translators, who translated them back to three distinct English versions (BT.1.1, BT.1.2, BT.1.3). These versions were once again synthesized in a unique questionnaire (BT.2.0). The version BT.2.0 was then submitted to an expert committee that compared it to the original I-CAM-Q in order to review the process and adapt FT.2.0 according to differences between the I-CAM-Q and BT.2.0. This led to a revised French version, PT.0.0. Version PT.0.0 was then tested with the use of cognitive interviews. These interviews allowed a final adjustment of the translations to produce a definitive version in French: the I-CAM-FR. Results: Four French translations and four versions in English of the I-CAM-Q questionnaire were produced. This allowed us to present a consolidated French translation to an expert committee. Their adjustments were taken into account before testing the final French-translated questionnaire on a group of people (n = 10) representing a diverse sample of the French population. The expert committee then suggested changes according to the errors due to the translation process sought out by the pre-tests, and recommendations based on the errors that were not due to the translation process. Conclusions: Through a rigorous methodology, we produced a French translation and a cross-cultural adaptation of the I-CAM-Q questionnaire. This work has led to the creation of an equivalent questionnaire available for use in France, the I-CAM-FR.