Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, and Validation of the Portuguese Version of the Rotterdam Elderly Pain Observation Scale

Introduction: This study reports on the translation, cultural adaptation, and validation of a Portuguese version of the Rotterdam Elderly Pain Observation Scale (REPOS), a Dutch scale to assess pain in patients who cannot communicate, with or without dementia. Methods: This is a multicenter study in pain and neurological units involving Brazil (clinical phase) and the Netherlands (training phase). We performed a retrospective cross-sectional, 2-staged analysis, translating and culturally adapting the REPOS to a Portuguese version (REPOS-P) and evaluating its psychometric properties. Eight health professionals were trained to observe patients with low back pain. REPOS consists of 10 behavioral items scored as present or absent after a 2-min observation. The REPOS score of ≥3 in combination with the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) of ≥4 indicated pain. The Content Validity Index (CVI) in all items and instructions showed CVI values at their maximum. According to the higher correlation coefficient found between NRS and REPOS-P, it may be suggested that there was an adequate convergent validity. Results: The REPOS-P was administered to 80 patients with a mean age of 60 years (SD 11.5). Cronbach’s alpha coefficient showed a moderate internal consistency of REPOS-P (α = 0.62), which is compatible with the original study of REPOS. All health professionals reached high levels of interrater agreement within a median of 10 weeks of training, assuring reproducibility. Cohen’s kappa was 0.96 (SD 0.03), and the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.98 (SD 0.02), showing high reliability of REPOS-P scores between the trainer (researcher) and the trainees (healthcare professionals). The Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.95 (95% confidence interval 0.94–0.97), showing a significant correlation between the total scores of REPOS-P and NRS. Conclusion: The REPOS-P was a valuable scale for assessing elderly patients with low back pain by different healthcare professionals. Short application time, ease of use, clear instructions, and the brief training required for application were essential characteristics of REPOS-P.