Measurement properties and feasibility of chronic pain assessment tools for use with children and young people with cerebral palsy
Creators: name: Smith, Nadine L.
name: Gibson, Noula
name: Bear, Natasha
name: Thornton, Ashleigh L.
name: Imms, Christine
name: Smith, Meredith G.
name: Harvey, Adrienne R.
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Space Science
subject: Medicine
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Science Policy
subject: Mental Health

description: Chronic pain assessment tools exist for children, but may not be valid, reliable, and feasible for populations with functional, cognitive or communication limitations, for example, cerebral palsy (CP). This study aimed to (i) identify chronic pain assessment tools used with children and young people and rate their measurement properties; (ii) develop a CP specific feasibility rating tool to assess the feasibility of tools in CP; and (iii) categorise tools according to reporting method. Assessment tools were identified by literature review. Their measurement properties were rated using the COnsensus based standards for the Selection of health Measurement INstruments. The CP specific Feasibility Rating Tool was developed and used to rate the tools. Fifty-seven chronic pain assessment tools were identified. Six have content validity for CP, four of these use proxy-report. Forty-two tools were considered feasible for people with CP; 24 self report and 18 observational/proxy-report. Only the Paediatric Pain Profile has content validity and feasibility for people with CP unable to self-report. There are few valid, reliable and feasible tools to assess chronic pain in CP. Further research is required to modify tools to enable people with cognitive limitations and/or complex communication to self-report pain. Few of the existing chronic pain assessment tools are feasible or valid to use with all young people with cerebral palsy (CP).Modifications to self-report tools are needed to improve access for young people who have cognitive impairment or use alternative and augmentative communication.The pain assessment tool with the strongest feasibility and measurement properties for young people who cannot self-report is the Paediatric Pain Profile.Clinicians will need to consider a range of chronic pain assessment tools to assess the biopsychosocial domains important to young people with cerebral palsy. Few of the existing chronic pain assessment tools are feasible or valid to use with all young people with cerebral palsy (CP). Modifications to self-report tools are needed to improve access for young people who have cognitive impairment or use alternative and augmentative communication. The pain assessment tool with the strongest feasibility and measurement properties for young people who cannot self-report is the Paediatric Pain Profile. Clinicians will need to consider a range of chronic pain assessment tools to assess the biopsychosocial domains important to young people with cerebral palsy.