Using impact measurement to establish confidence in emergent assistive technology services - First phase translation of the PIADS outcome measurement tool for implementation in an arabic context

For a fledgling Assistive Technology service seeking to establish multistakeholder credibility during its early development, the use of a valid, internationally recognized and easy to implement Outcome Measurement tool can be a valuable instrument to gauge the impact of intervention. This paper reports on the process of identifying an Outcome Measurement tool for the Mada Qatar Assistive Technology service and how the identified tool was translated for use with and by Arabic speakers. Furthermore, the initial results of a wide ranging satisfaction survey of the translated product are also presented alongside the plans for future validation and reliability testing in the context of AT service delivery in Qatar and more broadly in neighbouring Middle Eastern countries. Finally the value of localizing and translating an outcome measurement tool that captures the impact of assistive technology at an individual level is discussed alongside some of the barriers that may be faced by future such studies.