Design and validation of the Questionnaire for the Evaluation of Post-COVID-19 Respiratory Symptoms (CESRPC)

Introduction: Currently, COVID-19 cases continue to emerge, so long COVID continues to pose a risk and challenge to the global public health system. Therefore, it is important to provide healthcare professionals with a valid and reliable tool to identify and assess respiratory sequelae of COVID-19. Objective: To design and determine the validity of a questionnaire for the assessment of persistent respiratory symptoms in patients with long COVID. Method: A validation study was conducted. A questionnaire was designed based on a literature search on persistent respiratory symptoms due to long COVID treatable with respiratory physiotherapy. The instrument was subjected to content validity testing using the modified Lawshe model. A pilot test was conducted with 65 participants. Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis. Convergent validity was determined, as well as reliability for each dimension and the entire instrument. Results: Content validity ratio greater than 0.58 for the 13 items, content validity index of 0.64. In the exploratory factor analysis, the 13 items were grouped into three dimensions. Dimension one (six items, α = 0.88), two (three items, α = 0.62), and three (four items, α = 0.79); the entire instrument (α = 0.89); (rs > 0.30) between all items, except between two items (correlation of rs = 0.17). Conclusions: The psychometric properties suggest that it is a valid and reliable questionnaire that is useful for identifying and assessing persistent respiratory symptoms and functional limitation in patients with LC.