Friday, July 11, 2003

This presentation is part of : Diversity in the Elderly

The Evaluation of Pain in Cognitively Impaired Minority Older Adults

Laurie Jowers Taylor, PhD, RN, Professor and Coordinator, MSN Program, Department of Nursing, The State University of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA, USA, Cynthia D. Epps, PhD, RN, Associate Professor, Department of Nursing, State University of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA, USA, and Keela Herr, RN, PhD, professor, College of Nursing, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
Learning Objective #1: Identify pain intensity scales appropriate for use with cognitively intact minority older adults
Learning Objective #2: Identify pain intensity scales that are preferred by cognitively impaired minority older adults

The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of selected pain intensity scales as methods of assessing pain in cognitively intact and cognitively impaired minority elders. Additionally, minority older adults' perceptions of pain were investigated.

The specific objectives of this study are to determine: 1. if cognitively intact and cognitively impaired minority elders are capable of using various pain intensity measures to rate their pain, 2. if failure to use a tool is associated with age, race, or cognitive status, 3. the association between the Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R),the Verbal Descriptor Scale (VDS),the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS),and the Pain Thermometer(PT)when used to rate current pain and a vividly remembered pain, 4. the reliability of responses on all instruments when rating a vividly remembered pain, 5. tool preference among the elderly population, and 6. the pain experience as reported by minority older adults.

A convenience sample of 50 or more minority subjects aged 60 and older will be recruited.

Data Analysis (Data analysis is in process)

Capacity to use tools: Ability to use the tools will be identified by analyzing data using descriptive statistics.

Tool failure: Chi square analysis will be used to determine the association between failure to use a particular tool and variables such as age, gender, cognitive status, etc.

Concurrent validity: Associations among the tools will be determined using correlational analyses.

Test-retest reliability: At a two week interval, subjects will be asked to again rate the vividly remembered pain using the scales. Associations between time one and time two will be determined using correlational analyses.

Tool Preference: Tool preference of elders will be determined by using descriptive statistics including chi square analyses.

Qualitative Analysis.A content analysis will be conducted on the qualitative data.Themes will be identified based on the content analysis.

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Back to 14th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
10-12 July 2003