Validation of the pain assessment tool, Faces Thermometer Scale (FTS), used within the Picpecc application

Pictorial support in person-centred care for children (PicPecc) is an interactive digital smartphone- or tablet-based application for symptom management that can be used by children to self-report symptoms for example pain. PicPecc is based on universal design for maximum accessibility and equality. Within PicPecc, the child assesses the symptom by using the digital Faces Thermometer Scale (FTS). The FTS visualize the child’s pain with a digit, a colour and a face with a mimic representing the intensity of pain supplemented with one follow-up question.

Children's self-assessments of pain are, whenever possible, the primary source. Still, self-assessment tools are rarely used in clinical practice. An innovative solution to this can be to use this digital pain assessment tool where the child decides the frequency of use. However, when translating a low-tech assessment tool to a digital format, the child’s perception of the pain assessment may differ between the digital format and a low-tech assessment tool. Therefore, it is not possible to translate analogue tools unequivocally to a digital tool. Therefore, we will in this study evaluate the validity and reliability of the newly developed digital Faces Thermometer Scale (FTS) tool for assessing children’s pain.

Short movie with explanation of Faces Thermometer Scale (FTS) 

This study is done in collaboration between different Universities:

  • Assistant professor Charlotte Castor (PI), Lund University
  • Associate Professor Stefan Nilsson, University of Gothenburg
  • Associate Professor Maria Björk, Jönköping University
  • Associate Professor Helena Hansson, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Professor Gudrun Kristjansdottir University of Iceland, Iceland and Lund University, Sweden
  • Assistant Professor Jinbing Bai, Emory University, USA
  • Olof Kristjansdottir, University of Iceland, Iceland

Project Information Word, 271.9 kB.

For further information, contact Associate Professor Maria Björk