Adaptation and validation of the Spanish self-report version of the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM III)

Study design: This is a cross-sectional validation study. Objective: The objective of this study was to adapt and validate a self-report version of the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM III) for the Spanish population. Methods: A cross-cultural adaptation of the self-report version of the SCIM III for the Spanish population was performed on the basis of international guidelines. A total of 100 patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) were recruited. A team of healthcare professionals administered the SCIM III by observation. In addition, the patients completed the Spanish self-report version (eSCIM-SR). Data from both questionnaires were analysed jointly. Results: A high correlation was observed between SCIM III and eSCIM-SR. Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient for the global score was 0.998 (95% confidence interval: 0.997, 0.998), and the subscale scores were 0.988 (0.982, 0.992) for self-care, 0.992 (0.988, 0.995) for respiration and sphincter management and 0.997 (0.995, 0.998) for Mobility. Bland–Altman plots showed a small bias of −0.32 (95% limits of agreement: −3.01, 2.37). The estimated bias was low in all three domains, with values of −0.22 (−2.12, 1.68), −0.1 (−2.02, 1.82) and −0.03 (−1.69, 1.63) for the self-care, respiration and sphincter management and mobility subscales, respectively. Conclusion: Our study validates the eSCIM-SR as a tool for the functional assessment of patients with SCI, principally in the outpatient setting.