Questionnaire to assess immunosuppressant knowledge among kidney transplant recipients: item generation and content validation

Abstract Background Several questionnaires are available to evaluate immunosuppressant knowledge among kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). However, most contain a mixture of questions about different aspects of health management before and after kidney transplantation and do not specifically assess immunosuppressant knowledge. Aim This study aimed to generate preliminary items for a questionnaire to assess immunosuppressant knowledge among KTRs, validate the items, and translate the items into Malay. Method Preliminary items were generated from domains and subdomains identified through a review of previous questionnaires. Then, the item content was validated in a three‐round Delphi study by an expert panel of 11 renal pharmacists. The experts rated the relevance of the items and provided feedback on their comprehensibility and comprehensiveness. Items that attained ≥75% expert agreement on their relevance were considered relevant. Finally, the relevant items were translated into Malay through a forward–backward translation process by three external translators and two researchers. Ethical approval was granted by the Universiti Teknologi MARA Research Ethics Committee (Reference no: REC (PH)PG/027/2022) and the study conforms with the Declaration of Helsinki. Participants were approached electronically, and informed consent was obtained from all participants via distribution of a project information sheet, explaining their participation was voluntary and a gift card would be provided as an incentive upon completion of all three rounds of the Delphi study and completion of a written consent form. Results A total of 24 preliminary items were generated. In Round 1 of the Delphi study, four items needed revision, and nine new items were suggested for Round 2 ( n = 13). In Round 2, only five of the 13 items were carried forward to Round 3. In the final round, only one of the five items was relevant. The final experts' revision produced 27 items. A Malay‐language questionnaire equivalent to the English version was produced. Conclusion A content‐validated questionnaire consisting of 27 items in English and Malay was produced. This questionnaire serves as a reliable tool to identify immunosuppressant knowledge gaps and evaluate the impacts of educational interventions.