Brief Pain Inventory–Short Form: A New Method for Assessing Pain in the Emergency Department

Abstract

Objective The numeric rating scale (NRS), which does not capture the multidimensional experience of pain, is commonly used to measure pain in the emergency department (ED). In this study, we assess the utility and feasibility of the Brief Pain Inventory–Short Form (BPI-SF) in the ED. Methods This was a cross-sectional, prospective, convenience sample study of adult patients presenting to the ED with chest, abdominal, or musculoskeletal pain. Using confirmatory factor analysis, we investigated the construct validity of the BPI-SF. We determined the association between NRS and BPI-SF scores. We assessed the feasibility and utility of administering the BPI-SF in the ED setting by evaluating 1) the time required to complete the BPI-SF and 2) how patients perceive the BPI-SF compared with the NRS. Results One hundred participants were included for analysis. The median NRS pain level on ED arrival (interquartile range [IQR]) was 7 (5–8). The median BPI-SF score (IQR) was 57 (43–73) on a 0–110 scale. Fit indices for the two-factor structure were statistically superior when compared with the one-factor model of the BPI-SF (comparative fit index 0.90 vs 0.64). Higher pain severity score, pain interference score, and total BPI-SF score were associated with higher NRS scores (P < 0.01). The mean time needed to complete the BPI-SF (SD) was 3 minutes 47 seconds (1 minute 35 seconds). Seventy-three percent of the patients preferred the BPI-SF to the NRS for pain assessment in the ED. Conclusions Our study demonstrates the validity, feasibility, and utility of the BPI-SF in the ED setting.

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“…Pain-related interference rates the degree to which the pain affects the seven domains of functioning (general activity, mood, walking ability, normal work, relations with other persons, sleep, and the enjoyment of life). The score ranges between 0 (does not interfere) to 10 (completely interferes) (Im et al, 2020 ).…”

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“…The patients with CPSP were asked to locate specific regions of the pain: (1) the surgical area; (2) the axilla; (3) the ipsilateral arm; (4) the ipsilateral thorax. The brief pain inventory–short form (BPI-SF) was adopted to evaluate severity and impact of pain on daily functions [ 18 , 19 ]. Pain severity was rated on four items by an 11-point scale from no pain (0) to the worst pain imaginable (10).…”

“…(3) the ipsilateral arm; (4) the ipsilateral thorax. The brief pain inventory-short form (BPI-SF) was adopted to evaluate severity and impact of pain on daily functions [18,19]. Pain severity was rated on four items by an 11-point scale Fig.…”

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“…The advantage of the BPI-SF is its brevity, which makes the questionnaire suitable for settings in which BP is assessed on a daily basis (for example, in a randomized control trial), while the long form of the BPI may be more appropriate as a baseline measure. Also, the study proved the validity and usefulness of the use of BPI-SF in emergency care, for example, in acute BP [60]. This questionnaire demonstrated good clinicalmetric properties and is recommended by the international consensus of the mission of the Initiative on Methods, Measurement, and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials (IM-MPACT) for the study of chronic pain [63].…”

“…It is available in abbreviated (9 elements) and full (17 elements) forms [59]. The short form BPI-SF is more commonly used and is the one usually referred to when BPI is cited in studies [60]. The first optional item is a follow-up question about the respondent's pain during the day.…”