Applied nursing research : ANR
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Comparative Study
Pain measurement: a comparison using horizontal and vertical visual analogue scales.
The McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) is widely used in assessing a variety of pain problems. MPQ has been found to be sensitive enough to detect differences in pain relief and differences between acute and chronic pain. It requires, however, 5 to 10 minutes to administer. ⋯ A visual analogue scale (VAS) was not included in the original MPQ but is part of the SF-MPQ. Studies addressing the best way to present a VAS suggest that a vertical line is easier for patients to see; however, the VAS on the SF-MPQ is a horizontal line. This study examined the relationship between SF-MPQ scores with both the horizontal and vertical VAS.