Abstract Details

The current study aims to investigate whether primarily Spanish speaking laypersons could easily understand the AHORA scale, teach it and use it.

300 people whose primary language is Spanish and who did not work in healthcare were surveyed through a third party polling service. The survey questions asked whether the AHORA scale as presented in the infographic was : 1) easy to understand 2) easy to teach 3) easy to implement.  The final question was an open-ended one designed to capture the respondents’ verbatim assessment of the AHORA scale, asking specifically what they would change about the scale.

The median age of the cohort was 31 years (IQR  24-40). The highest educational level achieved was: elementary/middle school (6%), high school (34%), vocational school (13%), university (37%), and postgraduate (9%). A total of 28% had a loved one who had suffered a stroke. Only 58% of the cohort was employed. 61% reported low income status.

All respondents noted that the scale was easy to understand, teach, and implement. When asked what they would change about the scale, the vast majority (88%) said they wouldn’t change anything at all, suggesting the scale would likely be effective for this population to use. The remainder suggested improving the infographic design (colors, font) but not the content.

The AHORA scale appears to be well-received amongst a primarily Spanish speaking non-healthcare population. Future studies should examine inter-rater reliability and construct validity.