title: Pain assessment: the cornerstone to optimal pain management.
abstract: Pain assessment is critical to optimal pain management interventions. While pain is a highly subjective experience, its management necessitates objective standards of care. The WILDA approach to pain assessment-focusing on words to describe pain, intensity, location, duration, and aggravating or alleviating factors-offers a concise template for assessment in patients with acute and chronic pain.
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado Hospital, Denver 80262, USA. regina.fink@uhcolorado.edu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fink