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Updated: Jan 9, 2026
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Author Spotlight: Quantifying Pain Experience – An Illustrative Approach Using the Pain Body Diagram
Published on: July 7, 2023
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Older adults' pain descriptions
1University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-2026, USA. deborah.mcdonald@uconn.edu
Summary
Older adults with chronic osteoarthritis pain shared limited details about their pain. Repeated questioning is needed to gather comprehensive pain treatment information for better management.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Pain Management
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Osteoarthritis is a common chronic condition in older adults, often causing significant pain.
- Effective pain management requires a thorough understanding of the patient's experience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the types of pain information communicated by older adults with chronic osteoarthritis pain.
- To assess the impact of healthcare providers' question phrasing on the amount of pain information shared.
Main Methods:
- A post-test-only double-blind study involving 207 community-dwelling older adults.
- Participants responded to either open-ended or closed-ended pain questions presented via videotape.
- Responses were transcribed and content analyzed using 16 criteria from the American Pain Society guidelines.
Main Results:
- Older adults primarily communicated information about pain location, timing, and intensity.
- Details regarding pain treatment were only elicited after repeated, specific follow-up questions.
- Limited information on functional interference, treatment effects, and side effects was initially provided.
Conclusions:
- Healthcare providers should use follow-up questions to encourage more complete pain discussions with older adults.
- Routine use of multidimensional pain assessment tools is recommended to ensure comprehensive pain management evaluations.
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