Pain Assessment Information
The first step in assuring quality pain care is good and appropriate pain assessment. The challenges of recognizing pain in cognitively impaired older persons can be particularly difficult.
This section provides core principles of pain assessment, recommendations for effective pain management and is organized with tools for assessing, documenting and monitoring pain in cognitively intact and cognitively impaired older adults. Resources for training staff on screening and assessment procedures are provided, including best practice tools for assessing pain behavior in nonverbal adults. Suggestions for using an analgesic trial as part of the assessment process in cognitively impaired older adults are also provided.
Core Principles of Pain Assessment
Although treatment regimens range from the relatively simple, short-term management to complex, long-term therapy required for many chronic pain syndromes, all pain treatment is guided by the same underlying principles.
Pain Communication Tools
Use these tools and resources to help you communicate information about pain assessment, pain symptoms, and pain treatment recommendations.
Pain Assessment Terminology
A common vocabulary of terms related to pain is important to ensure that we minimize miscommunications because of poorly defined terms. The following document provides a glossary of often-used pain terms and their definitions.
Cognitively Intact
Tools and resources for assessing and treating pain in patients who are cognitively intact.
Cognitively Impaired
Tools and resources for assessing and treating pain in patients who are cognitively impaired.
Pain Behavior Tool Critique
Tools and list of current references/ studies and overview of the reliability, validity, settings and languages.