Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, and Psychometric Properties of the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) for Use in Arabic-Speaking Patients in Saudi Arabia

Shiekha S Alaujan,1 Haya M Almalag,1 Saja H Almazrou,1 Nora A Alkhudair,1 Faris A Alodaibi,2 Mohammed A Omair3 1Clinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Rehabilitation Sciences Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 3Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Shiekha S Alaujan, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11149, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966118054327, Email [email protected]/Aim: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex and debilitating condition that significantly impacts patients’ daily lives. The continuous assessment of the impact and severity of FM is essential to manage the condition effectively. Assessment tools in Arabic are lacking for use in Saudi Arabia, which might lead to ineffective management. This study aimed to translate and cross-culturally adapt and validate the Arabic version of the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR).Methods: Following translation guidelines, 2 Arabic translators and 2 English-certified translators performed forward and backward translations of the FIQR. In a cross-sectional study design, the questionnaire was piloted with 5 participants and then subjected to cognitive interviews and psychometric analysis. Participants were FM patients recruited from a University Hospital in Riyadh and FM support groups in Saudi Arabia. The internal consistency, and reliability using the Cronbach α and interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 2-week test–retest, and criterion validity were evaluated.Results: The results included a total of 42 participants with FM. Six minor modifications were made during the stepwise translation of the questionnaire. The Arabic version of the FIQR had good internal consistency and test–retest reliability, with a Cronbach α of 0.855 for the physical functioning domain, 0.663 for overall well-being, 0.803 for symptoms, and 0.895 for the total FIQR, and the Pearson correlation coefficient of the ICC for physical functioning was 0.769 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.541– 0.884) for the overall well-being domain, 0.555 (95% CI, 0.129– 0.772) for the symptoms domain, and 0.720 (95% CI, 0.370– 0.868) and 0.794 (95% CI, 0.579– 0.899) for the total FIQR score (p < 0.001), respectively.Conclusion: The Arabic version of the FIQR is a valid, reliable, and practical tool for assessing the impact of FM on Arabic-speaking patients and potentially contributing to the improvement of FM outcomes.Keywords: translation, cross-cultural adaptation, validation, validation studies, fibromyalgia, Arabi

Evaluation of a Multidisciplinary Extracurricular Event Using Kolb&rsquo;s Experiential Learning Theory: A Qualitative Study

Haya M Almalag,1,&ast; Maha Saja,2,&ast; Hanan H Abouzaid,1 Lobna Aljuffali,1 Hana Alzamil,2 Latifah Almater,3 Loulwah Alothman,4 Faten Alzamel5 1Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, College of Nursing, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Oral Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Health Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Haya M Almalag, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, King Saud University, College of Pharmacy, Riyadh, 11149, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966118057859, Fax +966114677480, Email [email protected] and Purpose: Although health science programs run parallel to each other and comprise of shared core subjects between the different disciplines, students of the different disciplines rarely mix or interact with each other during their undergraduate studies. Extracurricular activities are a big part of university students’ life, through which students have an opportunity to express themselves and enhance their soft skills in a safe and relaxed environment. Recently, King Saud University (KSU), Saudi Arabia, launched a multi-disciplinary event aimed at raising public’s awareness of their rights and responsibilities in the healthcare system. Although the event was designed to educate the public about their rights and responsibilities in the healthcare system, it has proven to be a good opportunity to promote interprofessional education among participating students. This study aims to review and assess the impact of this multi-disciplinary public awareness event on the acquisition of core interprofessional competencies by participating students from the health sciences using Kolb’s experiential learning theory as a framework.Patients and Methods: This qualitative study used semi-structured Zoom interviews in Nov 2020 with health science students who participated in the event. The research team used a pre-designed topic guide based on Kolb’s experiential learning theory (KELT) for the interview questions. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded, and analysed using thematic analysis.Results: Twenty-one students, representing four health science colleges at KSU participated in three focus groups. The main themes identified were participants’ attitudes towards the event, the types of knowledge and skills acquired from the event, and how they practically applied the knowledge acquired. These themes were aligned to KELT as this study’s framework.Conclusion: The event covered the most important concepts of interprofessional education and could be a potential tool to educate students from multiple disciplines.Keywords: interprofessional education, patient rights, patients’ responsibility, interprofessional collaboration, public awareness, Kolb‘s theor

Methotrexate and Cardiovascular Protection: Current Evidence and Future Directions

Patients with autoimmune rheumatic conditions, particularly rheumatoid arthritis, have an increased cardiovascular risk when compared with the general population. Methotrexate is a relatively old, yet effective, immunomodulatory drug for the management of autoimmune and chronic inflammatory disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, particularly in terms of symptom control, quality of life, and disease progression. Recent meta-analyses have also shown that methotrexate treatment is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events when compared with other disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. This suggests that methotrexate might exert specific protective effects against atherosclerosis and thrombosis. This mini-review discusses the mechanisms associated with the increased cardiovascular risk in rheumatoid arthritis, the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of methotrexate, the available evidence on the in vitro and in vivo effects of methotrexate on modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, and suggestions for future research directions