The linguistic validation of the gut feelings questionnaire in Turkish

Background 'Gut feelings' are frequently used by general practitioners in the clinical decision-making process, especially in situations of uncertainty. The Gut Feelings Questionnaire (GFQ) has been developed in the Netherlands and is now available in English, French, German, Polish, Spanish, and Catalan, enabling cross-border studies on the subject. However, a Turkish version of the GFQ is lacking.Objectives A Turkish version of the GFQ.Methods A linguistic validation procedure was conducted, which took place in six phases: forward translation (step 1), backward translation (step 2), first consensus (step 3), cultural validation (step 4), second consensus (step 5), and final version (step 6).Results The absence of literal equivalent of the term 'gut feelings' in Turkish was determined. The word 'intuition' was chosen as the Turkish literal equivalent of 'gut feelings'. There were also some challenges in finding the exact meanings of words and expressions in Turkish literature. However, we succeeded in finding adequate and responsible solutions. A Turkish version of the GFQ is available now.Conclusion With these validated GFQs, Turkish GPs can facilitate studies of the role of 'gut feelings' in clinical reasoning.

Automated summary

This study translated the Gut Feelings Questionnaire (GFQ) into Turkish, finding that there is no direct equivalent term in Turkish for "gut feelings." The word "intuition" was chosen as the equivalent term in Turkish, and challenges in translating other words were successfully overcome. The conclusion of this study is that Turkish general practitioners can now facilitate studies on the role of "gut feelings" in clinical reasoning using this Turkish version.