The Spanish Version of the Functional Rating Index in Patients With Low Back Pain: Preliminary Results of the Validation Study.
Ivan Medina-Porqueres, Manuel Torres-Fernandez, Francisco J Palenque-Lobato and 4 others
PMID 33543048WHAT IT FOUND
Spanish version of the Functional Rating Index was easy to complete and produced similar scores when repeated in 22 patients with low back pain, but this small preliminary check does not yet prove it measures the right thing for all Spanish speakers.
Key findings
01The Spanish Functional Rating Index was easy to complete: none of the 24 original participants asked for clarification, and the readability score was 77 on the Fernandez-Huertas Index.
02When the total score was repeated 1-2 days later in 22 analysed patients, scores were similar, with an intraclass correlation of 0.772.
03Scores on the Spanish Functional Rating Index lined up with scores on the Spanish Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire and the numeric pain rating scale (both r=0.66).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 22 participants were analysed, from 24 originally included, so this is a preliminary check rather than a final validation. Participants were recruited consecutively from 5 outpatient physical therapy units in urban coastal Malaga, not randomly, so the sample may not represent other Spanish-speaking or rural populations. The study only included patients with low back pain and did not test neck conditions, whether the score changes after treatment, whether the items form one clear score, or what score change matters to patients. Missing responses were handled by averaging or filling with the middle score value, which can affect scores.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the Spanish Functional Rating Index is proven for routine clinical use. It was tested in only 22 analysed patients with low back pain, and the authors did not show how it performs after treatment, whether it has one clear underlying score, or what score change matters to patients.