Dutch Translation and Validation of the FACE-Q Rhinoplasty Module

Overview

FACE-Q was developed in 2010 as a validated instrument for measuring patient reported results after aesthetic surgery. This study translated and culturally adapted its rhinoplasty module into Dutch, aiming for a version conceptually equivalent to the English original. Two questionnaires were used, satisfaction with nose and satisfaction with nostrils.

Sections of note

• Translation and validation study; psychometric validation was performed prospectively on 30 patients.
• Translation and cross cultural adaptation followed guidelines from the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research and the World Health Organization.
• A strict translation and back translation process was used.
• Each step of the translation allowed changes to reach conceptual equivalence with the original.
• Validation showed highly significant values for internal consistency, test retest reliability and responsiveness.
• The authors state statistical validation proved conceptual correspondence with the English version.
• They describe the instrument as measuring both patient satisfaction and providing an assessment tool for the surgeon.

What it means for a patient

• A validated questionnaire lets Dutch speaking patients report their result in a way that can be compared across studies.
• Without validation, a translated questionnaire may not measure the same thing as the original.
• Thirty patients is a small validation cohort.
• This study measures the tool, not any surgical technique or outcome.

Why this paper matters

Patient reported outcome measures are now the standard endpoint in rhinoplasty research, and comparing results across countries requires validated translations. This adds Dutch to the available versions. Whether scores are directly comparable between language versions is not established by a single validation study.

Terms

• FACE-Q: a family of validated questionnaires measuring patient reported results after facial aesthetic procedures.
• Internal consistency: whether the questions in a scale measure the same underlying thing.
• Test retest reliability: whether the same patient gives similar answers on repeat administration.
• Responsiveness: whether the scale detects real change after treatment.
• Back translation: translating the new version back to the original language to check meaning.