Development and pilot administration of the amputation-related pain and sensation assessment tool.
Kierra J Falbo, Isabel F Baca, John D Shaffer and 5 others
PMID 38989879WHAT IT FOUND
An illustrated tool helped 50 Veterans with lower limb amputation describe residual limb pain, phantom limb sensation, and phantom limb pain.
Many used overlapping words, so pictures may help clinicians sort the experiences. It is not yet tested for reliability or validity.
Key findings
01Fifty Veterans with lower limb amputation were analysed, and 26 reported all three experiences in the prior month.
02Tingling, cramping, burning, and sharp were used to describe all three experiences, so words alone may not identify which experience a patient has.
03The pilot did not perform psychometric testing, so reliability and validity are unknown.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This was a pilot study with 50 analysed participants, so it reports descriptive pilot data, not evidence that the tool is valid. No psychometric testing was performed, so reliability, validity, and responsiveness are unknown. The sample was Veterans from one hospital system and was limited in gender, racial, and ethnic diversity, so results may not apply to civilian or more diverse patients. The tool and illustrations were developed and tested only for lower limb amputation, so upper limb amputation use is not established. The study did not test whether the tool improves clinical conversations, treatment selection, or patient outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors reported no competing interests to declare.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that the tool accurately diagnoses or differentiates amputation-related pain and sensation. It was a pilot administration without psychometric testing, and several descriptive terms were used for all three experiences.