Translation and cross-cultural adaption of the German version of the Intensive Care Unit Mobility Scale (IMS)

This study aimed to translate the ICU Mobility Scale (IMS) into German, creating a cross-culturally adapted version for use in Germany.

Researchers from Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) translated the scale independently, resulting in two preliminary versions of the IMS. The UKE group incorporated a clinical perspective from a German nurse and used a forward-backward translation approach. The Charité group included a physician and a medical student for forward translation, followed by a cognitive debriefing with medical staff and backward translation. To merge the two German versions of the IMS, a translator from Charité compared the versions and determined which was more comprehensible. The updated IMS was then sent to the UKE, where researchers revised and commented on the updated version. Researchers from both institutions discussed the updated version, resulting in a final German IMS.

The translation and back-translation process at UKE identified minimal deviations from the original wording, advancing the preliminary German translation to the expert review stage without additional loops. The expert review committee confirmed cultural equivalence, eliminating the need for further changes. At Charité, 30 medical professionals (including nurses, medical students, physiotherapists, and physicians) approved the structure and translation of 11 items with minor changes during cognitive debriefing. Only slight differences were identified and merged during the final integration of both versions. A final version was created by incorporating phonetically advantageous elements.

The final version of the German IMS aligns with the cultural and linguistic characteristics of the German healthcare context. It is essential to note that validation is still necessary.