Available Translations

PROMIS^® measures are available in languages other than English.

Translations result from a process of forward and back-translation, multiple expert reviews, harmonization across languages, and cognitive debriefing with a sample of native speakers of the target language (linguistic validation). A universal approach to translation ensures that, whenever possible, one language version is created for multiple countries instead of country-specific versions of the same language.

Click here for List of PROMIS Translations

Obtaining Translations

All English and some Spanish PROMIS measures are available to download in PDF format in Search & View Measures. Respondent-ready versions of measures in other languages are available by request.  Learn more>>

If you are interested in obtaining a translated measure not listed in the List of PROMIS Translations table (above), or if you want to translate a measure, please contact translations@healthmeasures.net.

Translations in Progress

Numerous groups are currently translating selected PROMIS measures into a variety of languages including Bengali, Czech, Georgian, Hindi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Romanian, Sinhala and Xhosa, to name a few. Contact translations@healthmeasures.net for more information about translating measures.

New Translations

HealthMeasures does not directly translate its measures into other languages. However, we do manage all of the translation efforts to ensure quality and consistency. Referral to approved translation vendors can be made by HealthMeasures staff.

The Department of Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is currently charged with managing the scientific activity surrounding HealthMeasures translations. Please direct all inquiries translations@healthmeasures.net.

For new translations, we issue a letter of permission to translate specifying the name(s) of the measure(s) that can be translated and into which language(s). The permission to translate is valid for six months and can be renewed.  We will also provide item definitions and other documentation to facilitate accurate translation.

The FACIT Translation Methodology (see Eremenco et al, 2005) has been adopted by PROMIS, Neuro-QoL™ and NIH Toolbox^® patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures. It consists of an iterative process of forward and back-translation, multiple reviews, harmonization across languages, and cognitive debriefing with a sample of the target population. Another important aspect to consider is that the approach to translation is universal, which means we aim for language versions that are appropriate for more than one country, rather than country-specific versions of each language. The vendor or group in charge of the translation will need to comply with this approach. Descriptions of consensus-based best practices in translation methods are available (See Eremenco et al, 2018 for PRO measures and McKown et al, 2020 for observer-reported outcome, clinician-reported outcome, and performance outcome measures).

For new translations, we conduct a quality review of each translation and verify harmonization across languages for a fee (please see Fees section below). The review focuses on verifying consistency in the translation of similar items within the item bank, consistency with previous translations, harmonization with other languages, and whether the documentation of the decision making process is complete. This includes reviewing the cognitive debriefing report.

New translations can be conducted by professional translators or by a group of researchers who are native speakers of the target language and have translation expertise. Regardless of who performs the translation, the methodology, the expectations for documenting the various steps of the translation, and the quality and approval review process are the same.

We strongly encourage the calculation of population or country-specific norms, rather than recalibrating measures for a specific population or language. Having a common metric across samples and languages is one of the unique benefits of using PROMIS measures. This is made possible by use of a single set of calibrations, i.e., discrimination and location parameters. Given evidence of differential item functioning (DIF) by language, however, we support the adoption of country-specific calibrations for those particular items showing non-trivial DIF. We further support research into measurement challenges and support research modifications (e.g., removing an item) to improve a measure’s performance.

Fees

Distribution fee – We charge a distribution fee of $900 USD per measure, per language. This distribution fee applies to measures that are already translated. Some Spanish measures are available to download as PDFs in Search & View Measures, but please contact translations@HealthMeasures.net for use of any translation as fees may apply. The distribution fee can be waived in some cases, such as for individual use by students or academic investigators. Commercial users and corporations (for-profit and not-for-profit) are expected to pay distribution fees for any translated measure in any language. The distribution fee covers the distribution of the measure(s), the preparation of the license agreement, and the certification of translation(s). All costs are submitted in a quote prior to service and included in the license agreement. Translated materials are delivered after the license agreement is fully executed. 

Quality Review and Harmonization fee – For new translations, we conduct a quality review of each translation and verify harmonization across languages. The review fee is estimated based on a per hour fee and the number of items and languages to translate. Time for preparing materials for new translations (i.e., cross-referencing measures, gathering items already translated for each language, and selecting relevant item definitions) is also included. All costs are submitted in a quote prior to service and included in the license agreement. Translation materials are provided after the license agreement is fully executed.

HealthMeasures Electronic Administration Permission (HEAP) fee – Users who want to integrate HealthMeasures into an electronic or digital administration platform need to request permission and complete a review. The fee charged for the review and approval process varies depending on specific factors of the study. This fee covers the time spent preparing permissions and providing guidance on the appearance of items in the respondent interface (only the English version that serves as a template). All costs are submitted in a quote prior to service. See the Static Forms section on Pricing for Software Applications for details.

Last updated on 9/30/2024