Mapping the translation and psychometric characteristics of the Patient-Practitioner Oriented Scale: A scoping review

The Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) is the most widely used instrument to assess attitudes towards patient-centered care (PCC).

To map and synthesize the psychometric characteristics of available translations of the PPOS.

We conducted a scoping review guided by the requirements of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. The search was conducted in PubMed, PsycInfo, Cochane, and CINHAL, and included studies published in English.

Nine studies, describing the translation and validation process of the PPOS into Italian, French, Chinese, Sinhala, Turkish, German, Portuguese, and Spanish were included. The quality of the translation process was adequate in all studies. Internal reliability was better for the full scale than for its subscales.

This review attests to the importance of conducting a standardized and transparent translation and validation process. We showed that although these requirements are met in the majority of the studies included, differences exist in the number of items included in the scale and its dimensionality.

Having a clear description of the translation and validation processes will assist researchers and clinicians when implementing and evaluating PCC. It will also advance and improve cross-cultural knowledge in the area.