Frequent measurement of chronic pain: an electronic diary and empirical findings.
The PIPER (Prompting Intensity of Pain Electronic Recorder) is a compact data-logging device, easily worn by a subject. It emits audible beeps at pre-programmed times, prompting the subject to enter a pain rating by button press. Ratings are stored, for later down-loading. We report two studies suggesting that PIPER pain ratings have good reliability, and good validity assessed against the VAS. In a third study, the PIPER was found practical for use by elderly subjects, and for periods of more than 2 months. In addition, PIPER pain ratings taken 4 times per day were found to have different properties than 4 other measures of chronic pain, suggesting that very frequent measures should be taken if a full understanding of chronic pain is to be obtained.
Lewis
B
B
School of Psychology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia.
Lewis
D
D
Cumming
G
G
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004582:Electronics, Medical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results