Aims
To identify problematic items, assess completeness and user‐friendliness, and undertake modifications to enhance face validity of the newly developed Epilepsy Monitoring Unit Comfort Questionnaire.
Design
Qualitative‐descriptive cross‐sectional study.
Methods
Five iterative rounds of cognitive interviewing were conducted with members of the target population between July ‐ November 2017. Think‐aloud technique, verbal probing, and observation were used, to assess how respondents understood and answered questions. Data analysis was based on the framework method; an eight‐column framework matrix was created for this purpose.
Results
In 25 interviews, problems regarding completeness of the item pool, comprehension of items, retrieval of information, judgment while finding answers and reporting the appropriate responses could be detected. According to the results, 27 items remained unchanged, 11 items were reworded, and six items were added. Instructions section of the questionnaire was reworked, too.
Conclusion
Although time‐consuming, cognitive interviewing turned out to be a valuable approach for revealing problems in an instrument, which would, otherwise, remain undetected and threaten validity.
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