Translation and adaptation of STOPP-START criteria version 3 to Portuguese: a study protocol for assessing potentially inappropriate prescribing in older people.

Daniela Almeida Rodrigues, Luís Monteiro, Maria Teresa Herdeiro, Fátima Roque

Keywords: STOPP-START criteria; older people; translation and adaptation; Portugal.

Background:

The Screening Tool of Older Person's Prescriptions (STOPP) and Screening Tool to Alert doctors to Right Treatment (START) criteria version 3 are widely recognized as essential tools to improve the safety and appropriateness of medication use in the older population.

Research questions:

This study aims to translate and validate the STOPP-START version 3 criteria for Portuguese providing healthcare professionals with a reliable, useful, and updated tool to assess and improve medication use in older patients.

Method:

We adopt a rigorous methodology involving a multiphase process: I - translation to Portuguese of the START/STOPP version 3 criteria; II - data collection; III - intrarater reliability study; and IV - interrater agreement study. This protocol emphasizes stakeholder involvement, such as healthcare professionals and researchers, to validate the adapted criteria and to ensure their practicality and acceptability. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Regional Health Administration (Administração Regional de Saúde – ARS) of Centro (ARSC) of Portugal.

Results:

The successful adaptation of the most recent version 3 of the STOPP-START criteria to Portuguese have the potential to fill a gap in the current literature, offering a standardized approach to assess prescribing appropriateness in the older population within the Portuguese healthcare context. The translated and adapted criteria may reduce the risk of adverse drug reactions and complications associated with inappropriate prescribing in older adults and influence clinical practice guidelines and healthcare policies in Portugal by providing an evidence-based tool for assessing inappropriate prescribing in older population.

Conclusions:

The availability of the translated criteria may facilitate research on medication use and prescribing practices in Portugal. Overall, the translated version 3 of the STOPP-START criteria will have the potential to improve the quality of care and older Portuguese patients’ health outcomes.

Points for discussion:

The significance and importance of adapting the STOPP-START version 3 criteria to the Portuguese cultural and healthcare context.

How the translated and adapted STOPP-START version 3 criteria can contribute to improved patient safety and the quality of care for older people in Portugal.

The practical aspects of integrating the translated and adapted STOPP-START version 3 criteria into everyday clinical practice.

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