Whether burdening symptoms are part of an expert defined condition can be further evaluated by in-depth questionnaires which serve as validated case-finding instruments for clarification.
Also, determination of the optimal thresholds for opening a case-finding instrument needs further clarification.
The term 'burden' needed clarification, so that users of the instrument understood its holistic scope, including non-physical aspects such as impact on discharge home or to a hospice.
Minor modifications and clarifications were made to the survey instrument as a result.
Participants were asked to self-complete the three quality of life instruments independently with the research team available for the sole purpose of clarification of socio-demographic questions and/or questions within each instrument.
If there are uncertainties around the meaning of specific words or items, the developer of the original instrument can be contacted for clarifications [ 2, 4].
Furthermore, we find that GRAS-DK should not be used for effect measurements and group comparisons before the instrument has been revised for conceptual clarification of the content validity of the items.
The interviews were considered as a fundamental instrument to deepen understanding, usually by obtaining clarifications about specific events that happened during clinical interviews, asking for clarification on thought processes occurring during the clinical encounter.
The survey instrument was pre-tested with 10 respondents and questions requiring clarification were rewritten.
Quine says: "Meaning… is a worthy object of philosophical and scientific clarification and analysis, and… it is ill-suited for use as an instrument of philosophical and scientific clarification and analysis" (1981, 185).
