Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of PainChek® in UK Aged Care Residents with advanced dementia

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to further validate PainChek®, an electronic pain assessment instrument, with a population living with dementia in a UK care home. Method: This study utilised a correlational design to evaluate the psychometric properties of PainChek® when compared to the Abbey Pain Scale (APS). Blinded paired pain assessments were completed at rest and immediately post-movement by a researcher and a nurse. A total of 22 participants with a diagnosis of moderate-to-severe dementia and a painful condition were recruited using opportunity sampling. Results: Overall, 302 paired assessments were collected for 22 participants. Out of these 179 were conducted during rest and 123 were immediately post-movement. The results demonstrated a positive significant correlation between overall PainChek® pain scores and overall APS pain scores (r = 0.818, N = 302, p