Improving pain management through addition of the functional activity score

Abstract

Objective: This study investigated the benefits of adding a new measurement tool, the Functional Activity Score to a validated measurement tool, the Numeric Rating Scale. Design: Prospective cohort comparing cases (with intervention) to controls (usual care). Setting: Inpatients from a Chinese Mainland teaching hospital. Subjects: Eighty three postoperative patients of mixed gender and Chinese ethnicity. Interventions: Adding Functional Activity score, a subjective observer assessed pain measurement tool, to usual postoperative pain intensity assessment. Main outcome measures: Median 24 hour dynamic pain rating intensity. Episodes of moderate to severe pain. Results: Median 24 hour dynamic numeric rating pain postoperative pain intensity rating with cough 3 [2.25, 3.75] versus 6 [5, 7] (p< 0.001), and at rest 0 [0,0] versus 2 [0,3] (p < 0.001) were both significantly lower in the intervention group versus the control group. The intervention group also experienced significantly less episodes of moderate to severe pain (p=0.02) and reported significantly less cough related interference with pain (p=0.003). Conclusion: Functional activity score is easy to teach and apply, complements existing objective pain assessment after surgery and is beneficial for patient care.