Translation, cultural adaptation, and validation of the German EMPATHIC-30G questionnaire for use in the neonatal intensive care setting.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Parental satisfaction is a key quality indicator in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). While the EMPATHIC-30 questionnaire is widely used internationally, no validated German version exists for NICU settings. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the EMPATHIC-30G for use in German-speaking NICUs.

Methods

A structured Delphi process involving multidisciplinary experts and parents guided the translation and cultural adaptation, including forward-backward translation and cognitive debriefing. The German version was validated in a prospective observational study at a Swiss NICU. Parents of infants hospitalized for ≥24 h completed the questionnaire at discharge.

Results

A total of 228 questionnaires were completed (138 by mothers, 89

SUBMITTER: Odermatt K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12531056 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature