Validation and cross-cultural adaptation of the quality of Recovery-15 questionnaire in a Spanish-speaking population in Colombia

BACKGROUND: The quality of recovery is an important component in the evaluation of perioperative care. To measure this, the Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) scale has been validated previously. The aim of this study was to culturally, linguistically, and psychometrically adapt this scale to the Colombian Spanish language. METHODS: After linguistic adaptation, a validation study of the psychometric properties was carried out. These included validity, reliability, and responsiveness. The scale was administered after the administration of general anaesthesia. Validity was determined by correlating with the general recovery VAS, surgical risk, surgical duration, and length of hospital stay. Structural validity was assessed using factor analysis. Test–retest and internal consistency were used to measure reliability. RESULTS: Interviews were conducted with 161 adults. A positive correlation was found between the Spanish version of the QoR-15 scale (QoR-15C) and VAS scores (r=0.51), and a negative correlation between the QoR-15C score and the duration of surgery (r=–0.47) and hospital stay (r=–0.62). The reliability of the scale was adequate. Cronbach's alpha was 0.74, and Lin's correlation concordance coefficient was 0.99. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the scale in the Colombian Spanish version does not have a single domain, whilst exploratory factor analysis indicated that the scale may measure an additional factor. CONCLUSIONS: The QoR-15C scale for assessing the quality of recovery after general anaesthesia showed psychometric properties comparable with those of the English scale. This allows the scale to be considered for use in research and clinical practice.