Spanish version of the short European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire HLS-Q12: Transcultural adaptation and psychometric properties.

BACKGROUND: Health literacy has a direct impact on the health of populations. It is related to education, capacity for self-care, and management of health resources. The Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire HLS-Q12 is one of the reference instruments but has not yet been adapted to Spanish. The aims of the study were to cross-culturally adapt and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the HLS-Q12. METHODS: Data was collected from June 2020 to March 2022. The sample consisted of 60 patients who initiated cancer treatment for the first time within a clinical trial. Double direct translation, back-translation, cognitive debriefing with a 10-patient sample, and an expert committee were used for cross-cultural adaptation. For validation of the HLS-Q12, a psychometric analysis was performed to assess feasibility, reliability, sensitivity to change and construct validity with other measures such as health-related quality of life, empowerment, and health needs. RESULTS: The HLS-Q12 is equivalent at the semantic, conceptual, and content level to the original version and its psychometric properties demonstrated good internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.88 and a McDonald´s omega of 0.91, a high degree of fit for the confirmatory factor analysis, and a statistically significant sensitivity to change (p = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Based on robust psychometric values, the Spanish version of HLS-Q12 was found to be a good cross-culturally adapted tool for collecting correct information on health literacy in cancer patients regardless of tumour type or stage. Although more studies are needed, this version of HLS-Q12 could be used in research for collecting data on the health literacy needs of Spanish-speaking patients.

Impact of telenurse-led intervention in clinical trials on health literacy, empowerment, and health outcomes in patients with solid tumours: a pilot quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, decentralised clinical trials incorporated self-monitoring, self-reporting, and telenursing tools to address health literacy and health empowerment of patients enrolled in clinical trials. We aimed to determine the impact of an educational intervention using telenursing consultations on health literacy, health empowerment, and health-related quality of life in cancer patients enrolled in clinical trials by measuring the level of satisfaction with the care received and assessing the views of healthcare professionals concerning the advanced practice nurse (APN) role in oncology clinical trials. METHODS: In this pilot analytical, descriptive, longitudinal, quasi-experimental, and pre-post test study, an educational intervention was conducted by 5 visits with an APN using synchronous teleconsultation in patients starting cancer treatment for the first time in a clinical trial (n = 60), and health professionals working with the APN (n = 31). A descriptive analysis of the samples and questionnaires were utilised along with statistical comparisons. RESULTS: After the intervention, patients' health literacy (31.7%), health empowerment (18.3%), and health-related quality of life (33.3%) increased (p < 0.05), with a decrease and trend towards resolution of care needs (p < 0.05). Satisfaction with the quality and care received in terms of perceived convenience, transition, and continuity of care showed positive results in 64.9 ± 20.7, 77.6 ± 19.5, and 72.1 ± 20.4 of respondents, respectively. On the overall assessment of the APN role, healthcare professionals expressed a high level of agreement with the statements related to their work performance. CONCLUSIONS: The data indicates that a clinical trial APN-led telenursing educational intervention results in an overall increase in health literacy, an improvement in health empowerment and health-related quality of life, and a decrease in care needs of oncology clinical trials patients. Patients stated that they received a high quality of care and health professionals indicated high levels of acceptance with APNs. Based on these results, we suggest that the APN role should gain more recognition in the Spanish healthcare system and their professional competencies should be aligned with those of other countries.

Professional competencies of oncology nurses: Recognizing advanced practice in nursing.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the competency profile of advanced practice nurses involved in the care process of cancer patients. METHODS: Cross-sectional and descriptive study. The study included all nurses involved in the cancer patient care process in a tertiary hospital in Barcelona. Competence profile data were collected using the instrument for defining the role of the advanced practice nurse (APRD), as well as sociodemographic and occupational variables. Sociodemographic and occupational data were compared against the performance of advanced practice activities. RESULTS: A total of 29 (82.9%) nurses participated with a mean age of 42.6±12.54 years. 9 (31%) nurses were identified as meeting the standard in all 6 domains on the APRD scale to be considered advanced practice nurses. Of these 9 (31%) nurses, 7 (24.1%) met the training standards required by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) with an official master's degree and 2 (6.9%) with a PhD. CONCLUSIONS: There are nurses who carry out their activity in the oncology field of the hospital analyzed with the EPA profile. The identification of advanced practice nurses (APNs) in our health system is essential to be able to recognize the competencies of these professionals and create specific positions that help to address chronicity, patients' quality of life, their survival, and the optimization of health resources. Our study highlights the importance of chronicity and cancer as areas for the development of the APNs.