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Comparison of a Mobile Health Electronic Visual Analog Scale App With a Traditional Paper Visual Analog Scale for Pain Evaluation: Cross-Sectional Observational Study.
- Source :
- Journal of Medical Internet Research; Sep2020, Vol. 22 Issue 9, pN.PAG-N.PAG, 1p, 3 Charts
- Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- <bold>Background: </bold>Accurate quantification of pain in a clinical setting is vital. The use of an electronic pain scale enables data to be collected, analyzed, and utilized much faster compared with traditional paper-based scales. The advancement of smart technology in pediatric and adult pain evaluation may offer opportunities to introduce easy-to-use and reliable pain assessment methods within different clinical settings. If promptly introduced within different pediatric and adult pain clinic services, validated and easily accessible mobile health pain apps may lead to early pain detection, promoting improvement in patient's quality of life and leading to potentially less time off from school or work.<bold>Objective: </bold>This cross-sectional observational study aimed to investigate the interchangeability of an electronic visual analog scale (eVAS) app with a traditional paper visual analog scale (pVAS) among Australian children, adolescents, and adults for pain evaluation.<bold>Methods: </bold>Healthy participants (age range 10-75 years) were recruited from a sporting club and a secondary school in Melbourne (Australia). The data collection process involved application of pressure (8.5 kg/cm2) from a Wagner Force Dial FDK 20 to the midpoint of the thumb. The pressure was applied twice with a 5-minute interval. At each pressure application, participants were asked to randomly record their pain perception using the "eVAS" accessible via the "Interactive Clinics" app and the traditional pVAS. Statistical analysis was conducted to determine intermethod and intramethod reliabilities.<bold>Results: </bold>Overall, 109 healthy participants were recruited. Adults (mean age 42.43 years, SD 14.50 years) had excellent reliability, with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.94 (95% CI 0.91-0.96). Children and adolescents (mean age 13.91 years, SD 2.89 years) had moderate-to-good intermethod and intramethod reliabilities, with an ICC of 0.80 (95% CI 0.70-0.87) and average ICC of 0.80 (95% CI 0.69-0.87), respectively.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>The eVAS app appears to be interchangeable compared with the traditional pVAS among children, adolescents, and adults. This pain evaluation method may offer new opportunities to introduce user-friendly and validated pain assessment apps for patients, clinicians, and allied health professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- VISUAL analog scale
ALLIED health personnel
MOBILE health
CROSS-sectional method
INTRACLASS correlation
AUSTRALIANS
QUALITY of life
MENTAL health
RESEARCH
PAIN measurement
RESEARCH evaluation
MOBILE apps
RESEARCH methodology
EVALUATION research
MEDICAL cooperation
COMPARATIVE studies
TELEMEDICINE
ELECTRONICS
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14394456
- Volume :
- 22
- Issue :
- 9
- Database :
- Supplemental Index
- Journal :
- Journal of Medical Internet Research
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 146245697
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.2196/18284