Estudios originales
Published on 19 de junio de 2025 | http://doi.org/10.5867/medwave.2025.05.3060
Expert adaptation and validation of a verbal autopsy instrument in Chile using the Delphi method
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Comparison of main adjustments in each block of the VA instrument by phase.
| Block 1: Sociodemographic | 18 | Questions about age, marital status, place of residence, access to basic services, and health coverage. | 20 | Questions on support networks and domestic or gender-based violence, as well as ethnicity and cultural beliefs, are added. | 22 | One question from the first phase has been separated with minor adjustments to the language for greater clarity and neutrality. |
| Block 2: Obstetric history and health | 20 | Questions about previous pregnancies, births, complications, and COVID-19. | 22 | Questions on COVID-19 are reoriented. More details on chronic diseases, such as HIV and TB. | 23 | Mental illness, substance use, and physical activity have been added. |
| Block 3: First delay in deciding to seek help | 19 | Questions about the perception of symptoms and decisions to seek medical care. | 17 | Health questions are simplified and merged. Questions on difficulties in deciding to seek care, such as experiences of treatment and care, are considered. | 18 | Questions on the perception of symptom severity and gender-cultural barriers have been adjusted. |
| Block 4: Second delay (access to the healthcare systems) | 8 | Questions about travel times, access to transportation, and difficulties in reaching medical services. | 9 | More details on transportation barriers and geographic access to medical services. | 9 | Clarification has been provided on community transportation and perceived discrimination. |
| Block 5: Third delay in receiving quality care | 18 | Opinion on the quality of treatment received, waiting times, and care at healthcare centers. | 18 | Questions regarding COVID-19 are removed, and questions on the quality of care received and how this may have influenced the outcome are introduced. | 18 | Details on the perceived quality of care and its impact on trust in the healthcare system have been reinforced. |
| Block 6: Perinatal outcomes | 5 | Perinatal information. Applicable only if the deceased woman gave birth. | 5 | No change | 5 | No change |
| Total | 88 | 91 | 95 |
VA, verbal autopsy. HIV, human immunodeficiency virus. TB, tuberculosis. No., number.
Source: Prepared by the study research team.