title: Validating the brief pain inventory for use with surgical patients with cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the psychometric characteristics of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) for surgical patients with cancer and to compare the validity and reliability results between surgical and medical patients with cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive and correlational.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inpatient units in two veterans hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  388 patients with cancer (medical n = 229, surgical n = 159).
  
  
  METHODS
  The BPI was administered to patients once, and a pain visual analog scale (VAS) was administered to patients three times. The VAS was correlated with individual items of the BPI and with the Pain Interference Subscale of the BPI; correlations were conducted separately for medical and surgical patients as a study of validity. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha for each group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pain at its worst and least, current pain intensity, average pain intensity, and pain relief.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients in both groups were predominantly male, older, and Caucasian. Means from both groups were similar for items on the BPI. Correlations between the Pain Interference Subscale and the other items on the BPI were similar for both groups. Correlations between the VAS and the Pain Interference Subscale of the BPI were equally high for the medical (r = 0.71, p less than 0.01) and surgical (r = 0.73, p less than 0.01) oncology groups. Reliability evaluated by the coefficient alpha was very high for the medical (r = 0.95) and surgical (r = 0.97) oncology groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The BPI is equally valid and reliable for medical and surgical male, Caucasian patients with cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nurses working with patients with cancer can have confidence that the BPI will assist them in assessing and managing pain in both groups.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, St. Petersburg College, St. Petersburg, FL, USA. ltittle@tampabay.rr.com
authors.forename: Mary Beth
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Tittle
authors.forename: Susan C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: McMillan
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hagan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing* / Q000601:surgery*; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*