Pain Assessment for the Dementing Elderly (PADE): Reliability and Validity of a New Measure (original) (raw)

A comparison of pain-assessment tools for use with elderly long-term-care residents

The Canadian journal of nursing research = Revue canadienne de recherche en sciences infirmières, 2003

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties (test-retest and interrater reliability, criterion concurrent validity) of 3 verbal pain-assessment tools (Faces Pain Scale, Numerical Rating Scale, Present Pain Intensity Scale) and a behavioural pain-assessment scale for use with an elderly population. The study used a repeated-measures design to examine the reliability and validity of the tools across 4 groups of participants with varying levels of cognitive impairment using a non-random stratified sample of 130 elderly long-term-care residents. The findings support the test-retest and interrater reliability of the behavioural pain-assessment tool across all levels of cognitive impairment, whereas the same measures of reliability for the verbal-report tools decreased with increasing cognitive impairment; however, the majority of elderly with mild to moderate cognitive impairment were able to complete at least 1 of these tools. The findings are discussed in relat...

Practice Guidelines for Assessing Pain in Older Persons with Dementia Residing in Long-Term Care Facilities

Physiotherapy Canada, Vol. 62, no. 2, pp. 104-113, 2010

Purpose: Frail patients with dementia most frequently present with musculoskeletal pain and mobility concerns; therefore, physiotherapy interventions for this population are likely to be of great benefit. However, physiotherapists who work with older adults with dementia confront a considerable challenge: the communication impairments that characterize dementia make it difficult to assess pain and determine its source. For an effective physiotherapy programme to be implemented, valid pain assessment is necessary. This paper is intended to provide practice guidelines for pain assessment among older persons with dementia. Summary of Key Points: Over the last several years, there has been tremendous research progress in this area. While more research is needed, several promising assessment methodologies are available. These methodologies most often involve the use of observational checklists to record specific pain behaviours. Recommendations: We encourage the ongoing and regular evidence-based pain assessment of older persons with dementia, using standardized procedures. Without regular and systematic assessment, pain problems will often go undetected in this population. Given the need for systematic pain assessment and intervention for long-term care populations with mobility concerns and muculoskeletal pain problems, we call for increased involvement of physical therapists in long-term care facilities.

Pain Assessment in Elderly with Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia

Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2016

Background: Pain is under-detected and undertreated in people with dementia. The present study investigates the prevalence of pain in people with dementia hospitalized in nursing homes that are members of National Association of Third Age Residences (ANASTE) Calabria, and evaluates the association among pain, mood, and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Objective: The aim of this study is to define the prevalence of pain in people with dementia in long term care facilities using scales of self-reporting and observational tools and, particularly, to study the relationship between pain and BPSD. Methods: A prospective observational study was carried out on 233 patients. Pain assessment was performed using selfreporting tools such as the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for patients with slight cognitive impairment or no cognitive impairment and observational tools such as Pain Assessment In Advanced Dementia Scale (PAINAD) for patients with moderate or severe cognitive impairment. Mood was evaluated through the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) while behavioral problems were assessed through the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) and Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Results: Only 42.5% of patients evaluated by NRS provided a reliable answer; of these, 20.4% reported no pain. The percentage of pain evaluated by PAINAD was 51.8%. Analysis of data showed a statistically significant correlation between diagnosis of pain and depressive symptoms, assessed with CSDD (p = 0.0113), as well as by single items of NPI, such as anxiety (p = 0.0362) and irritability (p = 0.0034), and F1 profile (Aggression) of CMAI (p = 0.01). Conclusion: This study confirms that self-report alone is not sufficient to assess pain in elderly people with dementia; the observational tool is a necessary and suitable way of assessing pain in patients with cognitive impairment. If not adequately treated, chronic pain can cause depression, agitation, and aggression in patients with dementia.

Use of Pain-Behavioral Assessment Tools in the Nursing Home: Expert Consensus Recommendations for Practice

Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 2010

Many tools are available for the assessment of pain in nonverbal older adults; however, guidelines are needed to help clinicians select the proper instrument for use in the nursing home setting. This article describes a project to identify clinically useful pain-behavioral assessment tools that have undergone sufficient psychometric testing. Phase 1 of the project included a comprehensive review and critique of currently available tools. In Phase 2, the National Nursing Home Pain Collaborative developed criteria to evaluate an updated list of tools and then rated 14 tools using these criteria. As a result, two tools were recommended as most representative of current state of the science, most clinically relevant, and practically applicable to integrate into everyday practice and support adherence to regulatory guidelines. Such recommendations for selection of best-available pain assessment tools are a cornerstone for clinicians in regard to managing pain of nursing home residents who, due to dementia, are unable to self-report pain. O ne of the most satisfying and challenging tasks for clinicians in long-term care is relieving pain experienced by frail, older residents who, due to severe cognitive deficits from Alzheimer's disease or other dementias, all too often have decreased ability to report or describe their suffering. The high prevalence and continued undertreatment of pain among nursing home (NH) residents with cognitive impairment is well described (

Pain in elderly people with severe dementia: a systematic review of behavioural pain assessment tools

BMC geriatrics, 2006

Pain is a common and major problem among nursing home residents. The prevalence of pain in elderly nursing home people is 40-80%, showing that they are at great risk of experiencing pain. Since assessment of pain is an important step towards the treatment of pain, there is a need for manageable, valid and reliable tools to assess pain in elderly people with dementia. This systematic review identifies pain assessment scales for elderly people with severe dementia and evaluates the psychometric properties and clinical utility of these instruments. Relevant publications in English, German, French or Dutch, from 1988 to 2005, were identified by means of an extensive search strategy in Medline, Psychinfo and CINAHL, supplemented by screening citations and references. Quality judgement criteria were formulated and used to evaluate the psychometric aspects of the scales. Twenty-nine publications reporting on behavioural pain assessment instruments were selected for this review. Twelve obse...

Pain in U.S. Nursing Homes: Validating a Pain Scale for the Minimum Data Set

The Gerontologist, 2001

Purpose: The aim of this study was to validate a pain scale for the Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment instrument and examine prevalence of pain in major nursing home subpopulations, including type of admission and cognitive status. Design and Methods: This study considered validation of the MDS pain items and derivation of scale performed against the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), using Automatic Interaction Detection. The derivation data describe 95 postacute care nursing home patients who are able to communicate. The scale is then used in retrospective analysis of 34,675 Michigan nursing home residents. Results: A four-group scale was highly predictive of VAS pain scores (variance explanation 56%) and therefore quite valid in detecting pain. In the prevalence sample, only 47% of postacute patients compared to 63% of postadmission patients reported no pain, and these percentages rose with increasing cognitive impairment. Implications: Pain is prevalent in nursing home residents, especially in those with cognitive dysfunction, and often untreated.

Psychometric Evaluation of a Pain Intensity Measure for Persons with Dementia

Pain Medicine, 2018

Objective. The goal of this study was to conduct initial psychometric analyses of a seven-item pain intensity measure for persons with dementia (PIMD) that was developed using items from existing pain observational measures. Design and Methods. We evaluated validity by examining associations with an expert clinician's pain intensity rating (ECPIR) and an established pain observation tool (Mobilization Observation Behaviour Intensity Dementia [MOBID]). We also examined correlations between the PIMD and known correlates of pain: depression, sleep disturbances, agitation, painful diagnoses, and caregiver pain reports. We examined the differences between PIMD scores for "at rest" and "during movement" observations. We assessed reliability by calculating Cronbach's alpha and estimating inter-rater reliability using intraclass correlations (ICCs). Finally, we examined whether six additional "recent changes in behavior" items improved the PIMD's ability to predict expert clinicians' pain ratings. Setting. Sixteen nursing homes located in Alabama, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Participants. One hundred ninety residents with moderate to severe cognitive impairment, mean age of 84 years, 49.5% female, and 70% white. Results. PIMD during movement scores were highly correlated with the ECPIR and overall MOBID scores. As expected, there were large differences between at rest and during movement PIMD scores. Associations of PIMD with known correlates of pain were generally low and statistically nonsignificant. Internal consistency was supported with a Cronbach alpha of 0.72 and an inter-rater ICC of 0.82 for during movement PIMD scores. Conclusions. Initial evaluation of the PIMD supports its validity and reliability. Additional testing is needed to evaluate the tool's sensitivity to changes in pain intensity.

Developing a Pain Intensity Measure for Persons with Dementia: Initial Construction and Testing

Pain Medicine, 2018

Objective. The goal of this study was to identify a limited set of pain indicators that were most predicive of physical pain. We began with 140 items culled from existing pain observation tools and used a modified Delphi approach followed by statistical analyses to reduce the item pool. Methods. Through the Delphi Method, we created a candidate item set of behavioral indicators. Next, trained staff observed nursing home residents and rated the items on scales of behavior intensity and frequency. We evaluated associations among the items and expert clinicians' assessment of pain intensity. Setting. Four government-owned nursing homes and 12 community nursing homes in Alabama and Southeastern Pennsylvania. Participants. Ninety-five residents (mean age ¼ 84.9 years) with moderate to severe cognitive impairment. Results. Using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator model, we identified seven items that best predicted clinicians' evaluations of pain intensity. These items were rigid/stiff body or body parts, bracing, complaining, expressive eyes, grimacing, frowning, and sighing. We also found that a model based on ratings of frequency of behaviors did not have better predictive ability than a model based on ratings of intensity of behaviors. Conclusions. We used two complementary approaches-expert opinion and statistical analysis-to reduce a large pool of behavioral indicators to a parsimonious set of items to predict pain intensity in persons with dementia. Future studies are needed to examine the psychometric properties of this scale, which is called the Pain Intensity Measure for Persons with Dementia.