The Brief Pain Inventory is an evaluation instrument specifically for cancer patients. Intensity of pain and pain interference is measured by the BPI; in addition, it can be used to predict the outcome for advanced cancer patients. The BPI focuses on such area as pain relief, pain quality, and the patient’s idea of the reason for their pain.
Respondents are asked to rate their pain using a 0 to 10 numeric scale at certain times due to the variable nature of pain. The test consists of 17-items addressing severity, location, chronicity, and amount of relief.
Authors: Pain Research Group, Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, (Based on Wisconsin Brief Pain Questionnaire)
Reliability and Validity
Data collected from a sample of non-cancer patients and cancer patients revealed a coefficient alpha reliability rating of above 0.70. Over short intervals, the BPI showed acceptable test-retest correlations. The BPI was closely compared with the SF-36 Bodily Plan, showing high correlation ratings. The BPI has been translated into 12 languages, including French, Spanish, Hindi, and Chinese.
Obtaining the BPI
http://www.mdanderson.org/education-and-research/departments-programs-and-labs/departments-and-divisions/symptom-research/symptom-assessment-tools/brief-pain-inventory.html
(Includes sample forms of both short and long versions)
References
Cleeland, C. S. (1989). Measurement of pain by subjective report. In C. R. Chapman & J. D. Loeser (Eds.), Advances in pain research and therapy: Issues in pain measurement (Vol. 12) (pp. 391-403). New York: Raven Press.
Daut, R., Cleeland, C., & Flanery, R. (1983). Development of the Wisconsin Brief Pain
Questionnaire to assess pain in cancer and other diseases. Pain, 17(2), 197-210.
Hølen, J. C., Lydersen, S., Klepstad, P., Loge, J. H., & Kaasa, S. (2008). The Brief Pain Inventory: Pain’s interference with functions is different in cancer pain compared with noncancer chronic pain. The Clinical Journal of Pain, 24(3), 219-25.
Tan, G., Jensen, M. P., Thornby, J. I., & Shanti, B. F. (2004). Validation of the Brief Pain Inventory for chronic nonmalignant pain. The Journal of Pain 5(2), 133-137.
Tittle, M. B., McMillan, S. C., & Hagan, S. (2003). Validating the Brief Pain Inventory for use with surgical patients with cancer. Oncology Nursing Forum, 30(2), 325-30.
