Self-report pain assessment tools for cognitively intact older adults: Integrative review.
Youjeong Kang, George Demiris
PMID 28980440WHAT IT FOUND
For cognitively intact older adults, the Numeric Rating Scale, a six-point Verbal Descriptor Scale, the Brief Pain Inventory Short-Form, the Geriatric Pain Measure, and the Iowa Pain Thermometer may be suitable.
The Visual Analog Scale may not be.
Key findings
01The review identified one non-dimensional, 17 uni-dimensional, and six multi-dimensional self-report pain tools used among cognitively intact older adults.
02Across studies, the Numeric Rating Scale and Verbal Descriptor Scale were reported as the most preferred or most reliable tools, and the Numeric Rating Scale was the most commonly used.
03The Visual Analog Scale had negative findings: older adults were less likely than younger adults to respond correctly, and studies reported high failure rates, difficulty, and low preference.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The search covered only PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL Plus, was limited to English peer-reviewed articles, and may have missed tools or studies published elsewhere. Only 35% of abstracts were independently screened by two raters, although agreement was nearly 77%. The definition of older adults varied across included studies, from age 58 to 70. Only nine articles (19%) mentioned visual design features such as font size or pictures.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the recommended tools as evidence that they reduce pain or improve treatment. This review summarized self-report tools for cognitively intact older adults and excluded patients with dementia, cognitive or communication impairment, cancer, palliative care, or hospice.