Cross-cultural adaptation of the Therapeutic Alliance in Physiotherapy Questionnaire-Patients into Japanese

Abstract

The Therapeutic Alliance in Physiotherapy Questionnaire-Patients (CAF-P) assesses the therapeutic alliance between a patient and a therapist by specifically examining the extent to which a patient agrees with a treatment. It is highly related to the effectiveness of the treatment and patient satisfaction. In this study, a Japanese version of the CAF-P comprising 14 questions was developed in accordance with the international guidelines for the cross-cultural adaptation of questionnaires. As per the guidelines, the process involved five stages: forward translation, creation of an integrated version of the forward translation, backward translation, creation of a provisional Japanese version, and pilot testing. In the pilot test with 30 first-language Japanese speakers receiving treatment for musculoskeletal diseases, we assessed whether the meaning of the questionnaire was comprehensible in Japanese, using a 5-point Likert scale (1: not understandable at all in Japanese, 5: fully understandable in Japanese). The respondents’ comments were obtained on items that they rated from 1 to 3; we noted that 3 responses out of the total 420 (30 respondents × 14 questions) had a score of 3. Based on the comments, the Japanese version of the CAF-P was revised for comprehensibility. The Japanese version of the CAF-P is expected to be used in future research and as a checklist for therapists in clinical settings.