Computer-aided surface estimation of pain drawings – intra- and inter-rater reliability

Ann L Persson¹, Sofia Garametsos²,*, Jonna Pedersen²,* ¹Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims, Copenhagen K, Denmark; ²Department of Health Sciences, Division of Physiotherapy, Lund University, Lund, Sweden *These auth...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Persson AL, Garametsos S, Pedersen J
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Dove Medical Press 2011-05-01
Series:Journal of Pain Research
Online Access:http://www.dovepress.com/computer-aided-surface-estimation-of-pain-drawings-ndash-intra--and-in-a7468
_version_ 1811220728685527040
author Persson AL
Garametsos S
Pedersen J
author_facet Persson AL
Garametsos S
Pedersen J
author_sort Persson AL
collection DOAJ
description Ann L Persson¹, Sofia Garametsos²,*, Jonna Pedersen²,* ¹Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims, Copenhagen K, Denmark; ²Department of Health Sciences, Division of Physiotherapy, Lund University, Lund, Sweden *These authors contributed equally to this studyAbstract: Pain drawings are often utilized in the documentation of pain conditions. The aim here was to investigate intra- and inter-rater reliability of area measurements performed on pain drawings consecutively, using the computer program Quantify One. Forty-eight patients with chronic nonmalignant pain had shaded in their experienced pain on the front and back views of a pain drawing. The templates were scanned and displayed on a 17-inch computer screen. Two independent examiners systematically encircled the shaded-in areas of the pain drawings with help of a computer mouse, twice each on two separate days, respectively. With this method it is possible to encircle each marked area and to obtain immediate details of its size. The total surface area (mm2) was calculated for each pain drawing measurement. Each examiner measured about 2400 areas, and as a whole, the number of areas measured varied only by 3%. The intra-rater reliability was high with intraclass correlation coefficients 0.992 in Examiner A and 0.998 in Examiner B. The intra-individual absolute differences were small within patients within one examiner as well as between the two examiners. The inter-rater reliability was also high. Still, significant differences in the absolute mean areas (13%) were seen between the two examiners in the second to fourth measurement sessions, indicating that one of the examiners measured systematically less. The measurement error was ≤10%, indicating that use of the program would be advantageous both in clinical practice and in research, but if repeated, preferably with the same examiner. Since pain drawings with this method are digitized, high quality data without loss of information is possible to store in electronic medical records for later analysis, both regarding precise location and size of pain area. We conclude that the computer program Quantify One is a reliable method to calculate the areas of pain drawings.Keywords: area calculation, assessment, chronic pain, digitized pain drawing
first_indexed 2024-04-12T07:46:26Z
format Article
id doaj.art-4a8c689c6e254df2b306f7cfdd2d4884
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1178-7090
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-12T07:46:26Z
publishDate 2011-05-01
publisher Dove Medical Press
record_format Article
series Journal of Pain Research
spelling doaj.art-4a8c689c6e254df2b306f7cfdd2d48842022-12-22T03:41:41ZengDove Medical PressJournal of Pain Research1178-70902011-05-012011default135141Computer-aided surface estimation of pain drawings – intra- and inter-rater reliabilityPersson ALGarametsos SPedersen JAnn L Persson¹, Sofia Garametsos²,*, Jonna Pedersen²,* ¹Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims, Copenhagen K, Denmark; ²Department of Health Sciences, Division of Physiotherapy, Lund University, Lund, Sweden *These authors contributed equally to this studyAbstract: Pain drawings are often utilized in the documentation of pain conditions. The aim here was to investigate intra- and inter-rater reliability of area measurements performed on pain drawings consecutively, using the computer program Quantify One. Forty-eight patients with chronic nonmalignant pain had shaded in their experienced pain on the front and back views of a pain drawing. The templates were scanned and displayed on a 17-inch computer screen. Two independent examiners systematically encircled the shaded-in areas of the pain drawings with help of a computer mouse, twice each on two separate days, respectively. With this method it is possible to encircle each marked area and to obtain immediate details of its size. The total surface area (mm2) was calculated for each pain drawing measurement. Each examiner measured about 2400 areas, and as a whole, the number of areas measured varied only by 3%. The intra-rater reliability was high with intraclass correlation coefficients 0.992 in Examiner A and 0.998 in Examiner B. The intra-individual absolute differences were small within patients within one examiner as well as between the two examiners. The inter-rater reliability was also high. Still, significant differences in the absolute mean areas (13%) were seen between the two examiners in the second to fourth measurement sessions, indicating that one of the examiners measured systematically less. The measurement error was ≤10%, indicating that use of the program would be advantageous both in clinical practice and in research, but if repeated, preferably with the same examiner. Since pain drawings with this method are digitized, high quality data without loss of information is possible to store in electronic medical records for later analysis, both regarding precise location and size of pain area. We conclude that the computer program Quantify One is a reliable method to calculate the areas of pain drawings.Keywords: area calculation, assessment, chronic pain, digitized pain drawinghttp://www.dovepress.com/computer-aided-surface-estimation-of-pain-drawings-ndash-intra--and-in-a7468
spellingShingle Persson AL
Garametsos S
Pedersen J
Computer-aided surface estimation of pain drawings – intra- and inter-rater reliability
Journal of Pain Research
title Computer-aided surface estimation of pain drawings – intra- and inter-rater reliability
title_full Computer-aided surface estimation of pain drawings – intra- and inter-rater reliability
title_fullStr Computer-aided surface estimation of pain drawings – intra- and inter-rater reliability
title_full_unstemmed Computer-aided surface estimation of pain drawings – intra- and inter-rater reliability
title_short Computer-aided surface estimation of pain drawings – intra- and inter-rater reliability
title_sort computer aided surface estimation of pain drawings amp ndash intra and inter rater reliability
url http://www.dovepress.com/computer-aided-surface-estimation-of-pain-drawings-ndash-intra--and-in-a7468
work_keys_str_mv AT perssonal computeraidedsurfaceestimationofpaindrawingsampndashintraandinterraterreliability
AT garametsoss computeraidedsurfaceestimationofpaindrawingsampndashintraandinterraterreliability
AT pedersenj computeraidedsurfaceestimationofpaindrawingsampndashintraandinterraterreliability