Development and Psychometric Evaluation of a German Version of the PROMIS® Item Banks for Satisfaction With Participation

The Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) initiative aims to provide reliable and precise item banks measuring patient-reported outcomes in different health domains. The aim of the present work was to provide a German translation of the PROMIS item banks for satisfaction with participation and to psychometrically test these German versions. Cognitive interviews followed a forward-backward translation. Distribution characteristics, unidimensionality, Rasch model fit, reliability, construct validity, and internal responsiveness were tested in 262 patients with chronic low back pain undergoing rehabilitation. Results for the final 13- and 10-item German static scales (Satisfaction with Participation in Social Roles-German version [PSR-G] and Satisfaction for Participation in Discretionary Social Activities-German version [PSA-G]) regarding unidimensionality were satisfactory. The scales are reliable and show good Rasch model fit and distribution characteristics. Both scales are sensitive to small to moderate clinical changes, and we observed initial proof of construct validity. These German versions of the Satisfaction with Participation scales can be recommended to assess participation in a clinical context. The scales' applicability in other contexts should be examined.