The European Physiotherapy Guideline for Parkinson’s Disease: translation for non-English speaking countries

Background: The use of the European Physiotherapy Guideline for Parkinson’s Disease is limited in countries where the official language is not English. Objective: To provide practical steps on how to translate the European Physiotherapy Guideline for Parkinson’s Disease. Methods: We used the translation process of the Portuguese version as an example of how to define the recommended steps. A combination of a forward–backward-translation and dual-panel approach was used. Results: Ten recommended translation steps were defined: (1) authorization, (2) translation of sample chapter, (3) physiotherapy expert panel review, (4) backward translation, (5) approval by copyright holders, (6) translation of the remaining sections of the guideline, (7) review of the entire translation by expert panel, (8) review by a user panel, (9) conclude final draft, (10) publication and dissemination. Several adjustments were needed in the Portuguese version. Conclusion: The additional adjustments that were required for the Portuguese version justify the need for the detailed and multifaceted translation process that was outlined in this manuscript.