The Gastrointestinal Pain Pointer: A Valid and Innovative Method to Assess Gastrointestinal Symptoms

Gastroenterol Nurs. 2017 Sep/Oct;40(5):357-363. doi: 10.1097/SGA.0000000000000210.

Abstract

Abdominal pain is a chronic condition experienced by approximately 20% of individuals in the United States. The purpose of the study was to assess the validity of the Gastrointestinal Pain Pointer as a measure of abdominal pain intensity. A prospective longitudinal time-series study design was utilized. The sample included 93 outpatients (58.1% female). Participants met Rome III criteria for irritable bowel syndrome (n = 32) or were healthy controls (n = 61). The Gastrointestinal Pain Pointer, a new electronic pain assessment tool, was used to assess self-reported abdominal pain intensity among participants before and after ingestion of an intestinal permeability test solution across 11 time points over a 5-hour time period. The results were compared with the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire. The Gastrointestinal Pain Pointer was found to be valid in the assessment of abdominal pain intensity. The tool is a novel and valid measure of abdominal pain intensity that enhances the ability for clinicians to better quantify, in real time, patient-related pain outcomes for both clinical care and research.

MeSH terms

  • Abdominal Pain / diagnosis*
  • Adult
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Chronic Pain / diagnosis*
  • Equipment Design
  • Female
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pain Measurement / instrumentation*
  • Physical Examination / instrumentation*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Severity of Illness Index