• T S Olsen, T Jonsson, J Højsted, P Sjøgren, and L Christrup.
• Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
• Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2015 Sep 1; 59 (8): 1060-7.

ObjectiveTo improve a 41-item screening tool evaluated in our previous study by making it more simple and convenient to patients and at the same time maintain the level of information and the sensitivity.MethodsIn a prospective, two-period questionnaire study, patients suffering from chronic pain of non-cancer origin for more than 6 months, were asked to fill in two questionnaires: QSSE-41 or QSSE-33 and SF-36. The first part of the study (QSSE-41) included an age- and sex-matched control group.ResultsA total of 67 patients were included in QSSE-41 and 60 patients in QSSE-33. In QSSE-41, the mean number of symptoms reported by the patient group (12.3) was significantly higher than those reported by the controls (6.8) (P < 0.001). Out of the total number of symptoms, 40.3% were reported to be side effects caused by analgesics, and out of those 61.3% were reported as acceptable and 38.7% as unacceptable side effects. In the QSSE-33, the mean number of symptoms reported by the patient group was 13.6. Out of the total number of symptoms, 46.3% were reported to be side effects caused by analgesics, and out of those 56.4% were reported as acceptable and 43.6% as unacceptable side effects.ConclusionsThis new and shorter screening tool QSSE-33 may substitute the original QSSE-41 and in clinical use, contribute substantially to a more comprehensive and detailed understanding of symptoms/side effects and may consequently lead to improved therapies.© 2015 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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