Developing the APS-SE: Translation and Cultural Adaptation of the Abbey Pain Scale (APS) to A Swedish Care Context.

Abstract Background: The Abbey Pain Scale (APS) is an Australian observational scale for assessing pain in nursing home residents with end-stage dementia. The APS is widely used both in nursing homes and by other caregivers in Sweden for people with various diseases. No validated peer-reviewed translation to Swedish is available. The aim of this study was to translate and culturally adapt the APS for persons with end-stage dementia in Sweden.Methods: After an initial discussion of concepts, the APS was translated into Swedish and back into English to check for accuracy. The resulting Swedish version was then revised and culturally adapted through a series of interviews with nursing assistants, nurses, and physicians (n = 11) to develop the final Swedish version – the APS-SE.Results: The interviews emphasized the need to adapt the scale not only to the Swedish culture, but also to the educational and linguistic differences among the various staff members using it in different care contexts.Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of introducing new staff members carefully to the instrument, the APS-SE, to ensure understanding of all words and items.