Purpose: The aim of this study was to cross- culturally adapt the Patient Global Impression of Change
Scale - (PGICS) for the Portuguese Language in a population of people with chronic musculoskeletal
pain, and to investigate its construct convergent validity.
Methods: The English version of the PGICS was translated into Portuguese (PGIC-VP) and back
translated blindly and independently by a multidisciplinary team according to established guidelines.
Construct convergent validity of the translated version of the PGIC-VP was then administered to 46
patients with non-traumatic chronic cervical pain. Association between the PGIC-VP scores and the
numerical pain rating scale (NPRS) were investigated, using Pearson’s correlation coefficient.
Results: Comprehensibility of PGIC-VP was good. The correlation between the PGIS-VP and the END
showed desirable results, indicating a good construct convergent validity, with the r value of -82 (p
≤0,01.), suggesting that low levels of pain intensity are associated with a highest patient’ satisfaction
and perception of treatment response.
Conclusion. The Portuguese version of PGIC-VP was found to be a valid method of measurement for
evaluating patients’ perceptions of their improvement and satisfaction with the treatment, when applied
to patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. It is simple and easy to use and now can be applied in
clinical settings and future outcome research studies in Portugal
