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Measurement of pain using the visual numeric scale.
Philip L Ritter1, Virginia M González, Diana D Laurent
1Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA. philr@stanford.edu
The Journal of Rheumatology
|March 3, 2006
Summary
The new Visual Numeric Scale (VNS) for pain is a valid and reliable self-report measure. It performs comparably to the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) but is easier to administer and code.
Area of Science:
- Pain Management
- Psychometrics
- Health Outcomes
Background:
- Self-reported pain assessment is crucial in clinical practice.
- Existing scales like the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) have limitations.
- A need exists for improved pain measurement tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce the English-language Visual Numeric Scale (VNS).
- Evaluate the psychometric properties of the VNS.
- Compare the VNS to the established Visual Analog Scale (VAS).
Main Methods:
- Developed an 11-point numeric rating scale with visual cues (VNS).
- Administered VNS and VAS to patients with arthritis or chronic disease (N=367).
- Correlated VNS/VAS with health distress and general health; assessed VNS sensitivity to change.
Main Results:
- VNS demonstrated good distribution across its range.
- VNS showed strong correlation with VAS (r=0.85).
- VNS was easier to complete, had fewer errors, and was sensitive to change.
Conclusions:
- The Visual Numeric Scale (VNS) is a valid pain assessment tool.
- VNS is comparable to VAS in measuring pain.
- VNS offers advantages in administration, coding, and sensitivity to change.