title: Quantitative Evaluation of an Instrument to Identify Chronic Pain in HIV-Infected Individuals.
abstract: A method to rapidly identify the presence of chronic pain would enhance the care of HIV-infected individuals, but such an instrument has not been assessed in this population to date. We assessed the construct validity of the two-question Brief Chronic Pain Questionnaire (BCPQ) in HIV-infected patients by assessing the association between BCPQ responses and known correlates of chronic pain. Participants in the University of Alabama Center for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems cohort completed the BCPQ, along with the EuroQOL to assess physical function, the PHQ-9 to assess depression, and the PHQ-anxiety module to assess anxiety. Among 100 participants, 25% were female, the mean age was 45 (SD 12), 63% were African American, 27% were publicly insured, the median CD4(+) T cell count was 572 cells/mm(3) (IQR 307-788), and 82% had an undetectable viral load. Participants with chronic pain were more likely to have impaired mobility (43% vs. 12%, p=0.001), difficulty with usual activities (47% vs. 12%, p<0.001), lower overall health state (70 vs. 84, p=0.002), pain today (80% vs. 27%, p<0.001), depression (30% vs. 15%, p=0.10), and anxiety (43% vs. 10%, p<0.001) than those without chronic pain. This study provides preliminary evidence for the BCPQ as a brief questionnaire to identify the presence of chronic pain in HIV care settings.
authors.affiliation: 1Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.|2Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Jessica S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Merlin
authors.affiliation: 1Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Andrew O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Westfall
authors.affiliation: 3School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chamot
authors.affiliation: 1Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saag
authors.affiliation: 1Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Melonie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walcott
authors.affiliation: 4Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California.|5San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ritchie
authors.affiliation: 6Birmingham VA Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama.|7Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kertesz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000407:Alabama; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015510:Clinical Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires