Assessing the pain of people with a learning disability

This article highlights the inequalities in health-care provision experienced by people with a learning disability, particularly the issue of pain and the barriers people with a learning disability face when trying to have their pain properly recognized and managed. The authors describe the process followed by their learning disability service in producing a pain protocol that attempted to overcome these barriers. They also examine the pain assessment tool that is now used in the authors learning disability service. Lastly, the article considers why a specially designed pain assessment tool was deemed more appropriate than any of the standardized assessment tools available and looks at the reasons why assessment tools should be presented in an accessible format that enables people with a learning disability to alert healthcare professionals to their pain and receive appropriate treatment.