Validation of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Pain Intensity and Brief Pain Inventory...

Area of Science:

• Perinatal Health
• Pain Management
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Accurate pain assessment during pregnancy is crucial for maternal and fetal well-being.
• Existing pain measures may require validation for the unique context of pregnancy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pain Intensity Short Form 3a and the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) for use in pregnant individuals.
• To evaluate pain intensity and severity in a sample of pregnant individuals using these validated measures.

Main Methods:

• Prospective survey of 196 pregnant individuals at different gestational stages.
• Inclusion of validated instruments assessing pain, PTSD, quality of life, depression, anxiety, and adverse childhood experiences.
• Examination of content validity, reliability, convergent/discriminant validity, and criterion relationships.

Main Results:

• The PROMIS pain measure demonstrated ease of use and interpretation; the BPI offered greater detail but had some unclear questions regarding medication.
• Pain ratings showed stronger relationships with each other than with measures of other constructs, supporting convergent and discriminant validity.
• Both PROMIS and BPI provided valid data on pain intensity and severity in the perinatal sample.

Conclusions:

• PROMIS and BPI are valid tools for assessing pain intensity and severity in pregnant individuals.
• The choice between PROMIS and BPI depends on specific research needs; PROMIS is simpler, while BPI offers more detail.
• Both measures can be integrated into electronic health records for routine clinical pain assessment during pregnancy.