The Italian Version of the FAMCARE-P13 Questionnaire: A Validation Study

Purpose. The FAMCARE-P13 is a tool designed to evaluate patients' satisfaction with received healthcare. This self-reported questionnaire has already been adapted and validated in different languages but not Italian. The study aims to examine the cultural adaptation of the Italian version of the FAMCARE-P13 questionnaire and evaluate its psychometric properties in outpatients with advanced cancer. Methods. The FAMCARE-P13, a questionnaire of 13 items scored on a 5-point Likert scale (from 1 = "very dissatisfied" to 5 = "very satisfied"), was culturally adapted into Italian through forward-back translation by native Italian and English speakers. The questionnaire was then administered to a balanced sample of outpatients with five advanced cancer histologies. The following psychometric analyses were performed: Confirmatory Factor Analysis to test the presence of a single latent factor, Cronbach's a to test internal consistency, intraclass correlation coefficient to evaluate test-retest reliability after 3 days, and a known-group validity analysis. Results. A total of 300 patients completed the questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis fully supported a one-factor structure of the tool, with the model exhibiting robust fit indices, specifically a comparative fit index of 0.96 and a Tucker-Lewis Index of 0.95. The satisfaction was closely related to doctors' availability and availability to communicate. Cronbach's a was 0.95 (95% CI: 0.94-0.95), showing satisfactory internal consistency. Test-retest analysis showed stability overtime, with a global intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.91 (P-value <0.0001). Conclusion. The Italian version of the FAMCARE-P13 questionnaire appears valid for assessing the satisfaction with the care received by patients with advanced cancer.