Article type
Abstract
Background: Using acute pain assessment tools for the postoperative patients is an important method of patients’ recovery and prevention of complications. But studies reporting the measurement properties or criteria of the tools are currently insufficient.
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the tools available for assessing the acute postoperative pain and to evaluate their measurement properties to provide to robust evidence to researchers and clinicians who are selecting a postoperative pain assessment tool.
Methods: A literature search for acute postoperative pain assessment tools was performed using 8 electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, CINAHL, Web of Science, KISS, DBpia, RISS), following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews guidelines. To assess the quality of the articles, the updated COSMIN(Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments) methodology, encompassing content validity, internal structure, and other relevant measurement properties, was used.
Results: Among the 26 studies selected, 28 pain assessment tools were extracted, including 13 self-reported, 12 observational, and 3 multidimensional tools with observational and physiological indicators. 6 of the 28 tools that included observations reported content validity, 9 reported internal consistency, 1 reported cross-cultural validity, 10 reported reliability, 22 reported criterion validity and 10 reported construct validity. The tools were evaluated for the quality of measurement properties through 26 studies. However, a common observation across all studies was the deficiency of comprehensive information regarding the properties of the assessed tools.
Conclusions: The Critical Care Pain Observation Tool, The Pain in Advanced Dementia were the most frequently investigated tools. However, it is strongly recommended that the tools’ observational and physiological indicators be updated to reflect accurately pain in postoperative patients. And the tools need improvements in measurement properties and further psychometric studies to increase the credibility of its synthesized evidence.
Key words: Acute pain, Pain measurement, COSMIN
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the tools available for assessing the acute postoperative pain and to evaluate their measurement properties to provide to robust evidence to researchers and clinicians who are selecting a postoperative pain assessment tool.
Methods: A literature search for acute postoperative pain assessment tools was performed using 8 electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, CINAHL, Web of Science, KISS, DBpia, RISS), following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews guidelines. To assess the quality of the articles, the updated COSMIN(Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments) methodology, encompassing content validity, internal structure, and other relevant measurement properties, was used.
Results: Among the 26 studies selected, 28 pain assessment tools were extracted, including 13 self-reported, 12 observational, and 3 multidimensional tools with observational and physiological indicators. 6 of the 28 tools that included observations reported content validity, 9 reported internal consistency, 1 reported cross-cultural validity, 10 reported reliability, 22 reported criterion validity and 10 reported construct validity. The tools were evaluated for the quality of measurement properties through 26 studies. However, a common observation across all studies was the deficiency of comprehensive information regarding the properties of the assessed tools.
Conclusions: The Critical Care Pain Observation Tool, The Pain in Advanced Dementia were the most frequently investigated tools. However, it is strongly recommended that the tools’ observational and physiological indicators be updated to reflect accurately pain in postoperative patients. And the tools need improvements in measurement properties and further psychometric studies to increase the credibility of its synthesized evidence.
Key words: Acute pain, Pain measurement, COSMIN