Issues Related to the Translation of Measurement Scales: A Comparison of Versions of the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale

Abstract

As international collaborations increase, occupational therapists are becoming aware of the advantages of using consistent measures to compare outcomes of assessments across cultures. However, the translation of a measurement tool from one language to another may present issues that have to be addressed. This paper examines the advantages and issues related to the use of one tool, the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale (AIMS). It meets the goals of the World Health Organization (WHO, 1980, 1993), and it appears to meet the purpose of users in several countries, thereby eliminating the need to develop a new tool. Instead, the AIMS has been translated into several languages. This paper examines three translated versions of the AIMS and discusses the issues related to the process of translation of the tool.