Construction and validation of a notification instrument for cases of human T-cell lymphotropic virus infection: methodological study, Natal, 2025.

OBJECTIVES: To construct and validate an instrument for the notification of cases of human T-cell lymphotropic virus infection. METHODS: This is a methodological study focused on content validation, conducted using the Delphi method in three sequential stages: (i) preliminary development of the instrument, based on an integrative review of the scientific literature; (ii) content validation by a committee of expert judges with recognized experience in the subject; and (iii) subsequent validation by health professionals working in healthcare services. The instruments were made available electronically. Statistical analysis of agreement among evaluators was performed using the Kappa coefficient, with agreement ≥0.75 as the minimum acceptable threshold. RESULTS: The initial version of the instrument consisted of 58 items distributed across 10 thematic categories. Based on the expert judges' suggestions during the two validation stages, several modifications were implemented, including reformulating certain items and adding new elements. At the end of the process, the validated instrument comprised 58 items, maintaining the same 10-category structure. CONCLUSION: The developed instrument demonstrated satisfactory content validity and stands out as an innovative tool for the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), given the absence of a standardized national form for the notification of human T-cell lymphotropic virus infection cases.