Adaptation of the Memorial Pain Assessment Card to the Polish clinical setting: a proposal of a standard instrument for pain assessment and monitoring of pain treatment in cancer patients: a preliminary study

Introduction: Memorial Pain Assessment Card (MPAC) contains 4 questions regarding pain intensity, pain relief and psychological mood (visual-analogue scales) and pain intensity verbal scale.

Aim of the study: Adaptation of MPAC to polish clinical setting, assessment of psychometric properties (validity and reliability) and the use of MPAC in pain assessment and monitoring of pain treatment in cancer patients.

Material and methods: Analysis of 30 patients treated with tramadol and dihydrocodeine (DHC) for 14 days. Reliability was assessed by MPAC sensitivity to changes in pain intensity after analgesics administration and as constant result when pain treatment did not change. Memorial Pain Assessment Card validity was assessed through correlations with Brief Pain Inventory – Short Form (BPI-SF) and with modified ESAS (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System).

Results: Pain intensity decreased, pain relief increased and mood improved (MPAC) after starting tramadol or DHC treatment. In validity numerous significant correlations of pain intensity (MPAC) with pain intensity (BPI-SF and ESAS) were found with Pearson correlation coefficients values 0.52-0.78 and 0.92, respectively. Significant correlations were found between pain intensity (MPAC verbal scale) and pain intensity assessed by BPI-SF and ESAS. Pain relief (MPAC) significantly inversely correlated with pain on average and pain right now (BPI-SF). When pain relief intensified (MPAC) improvement in mood (MPAC) and increase in activity (BPI-SF) were observed. Mood (MPAC) significantly correlated with pain relief (BPI-SF) and inversely with depression (ESAS).

Conclusions: Polish version of MPAC is valid and reliable instrument for pain assessment, psychological context of pain experience and monitoring of pain treatment in cancer patients.