Visual analogue thermometer: a valid and useful instrument for measuring pain in burned patients

This study assessed the psychometric qualities of a new pain rating instrument--the visual analogue thermometer (VAT)--which was developed to measure pain in burned patients. The validity and utility of the VAT was assessed and compared with a conventional numeric (NUM) and adjective pain scale (ADJ) with a group of 103 burned patients and 51 nurses. Analyses of the results support the concurrent and construct validity of the VAT as a pain measure. Furthermore, the VAT gave more sensitive and precise pain measures than the ADJ and/or NUM scales. No major difference between the three scales emerged in the patients' preference. The same was true for the nurses' evaluation except for those who had more clinical experience with the VAT and who tended to prefer this scale for its accuracy and ease of utilization. The VAT appears to be a valid, sensitive and clinically useful tool to measure pain in burned patients. A systematic pain assessment procedure which can be easily implemented in burn care facilities is presented.