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The Electronic Faces Thermometer Scale (eFTS)—Construct Validity for Pain Assessment in Pediatric Postoperative Care in Sweden

Höök, Angelica ; Hylén, Mia LU ; Björk, Maria LU ; Nilsson, Stefan LU ; Bai, Jinbing ; Berlin, Henrik LU ; Hansson, Helena LU ; Kristjánsdóttir, Gudrún LU orcid ; Roxner, Rikard and Stenström, Pernilla LU orcid , et al. (2025) In Paediatric Anaesthesia 35(12). p.1029-1036
Abstract

Background: Pain in children is undertreated. An assessment scale co-designed with children, parents, and health care professionals could lead to more effective pain assessments and treatment strategies aimed at reducing pain and pain-related symptoms. There are analogue scales validated for self-report of pain in children, but today, children regularly use digital technology, which healthcare should align with. The newly developed electronic Faces Thermometer Scale is a digital assessment scale that needs further validation before it may be recommended for self-reporting pain intensity. Aims: The study aimed to determine the convergent and discriminant validity of a new digital pain assessment scale in a pediatric postoperative... (More)

Background: Pain in children is undertreated. An assessment scale co-designed with children, parents, and health care professionals could lead to more effective pain assessments and treatment strategies aimed at reducing pain and pain-related symptoms. There are analogue scales validated for self-report of pain in children, but today, children regularly use digital technology, which healthcare should align with. The newly developed electronic Faces Thermometer Scale is a digital assessment scale that needs further validation before it may be recommended for self-reporting pain intensity. Aims: The study aimed to determine the convergent and discriminant validity of a new digital pain assessment scale in a pediatric postoperative setting. Methods: The study was performed at a pediatric surgery department in southern Sweden. A total of 88 children were included, generating 716 assessments. Convergent validity was established by comparing the well-validated Colored Analogue Scale and Faces Pain Scale Revised with the electronic Faces Thermometer Scale. Pain assessments were conducted at three different time points: one before surgery, one once the participant became alert and aware, and one 30–45 min after the second time point. A p-value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Discriminant validity was established by comparing a potential non-painful situation with a painful situation using the electronic Faces Thermometer Scale. Results: The agreement between the scales at different time points, as well as across different ages and gender, showed a statistically significant correlation: Kendall's Tau B correlation coefficient varied between 0.61 and 0.79 at different time points. The electronic Faces Thermometer Scale was able to discriminate pain across different age groups and genders. There was a statistically significant difference between pre- and postoperative assessments, and the Clopper–Pearson proportion ranged from 0.70 to 0.90. Conclusions: The electronic Faces Thermometer Scale provides a valid digital scale for self-report of pain within pediatric postoperative care.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
e-health, pain assessment, pediatric, validation postoperative
in
Paediatric Anaesthesia
volume
35
issue
12
pages
8 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:105016761801
  • pmid:40977637
ISSN
1155-5645
DOI
10.1111/pan.70056
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Pediatric Anesthesia published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
id
b14274ac-0289-40c9-8022-ffc72a998b96
date added to LUP
2025-12-09 12:41:50
date last changed
2025-12-10 11:01:56
@article{b14274ac-0289-40c9-8022-ffc72a998b96,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Pain in children is undertreated. An assessment scale co-designed with children, parents, and health care professionals could lead to more effective pain assessments and treatment strategies aimed at reducing pain and pain-related symptoms. There are analogue scales validated for self-report of pain in children, but today, children regularly use digital technology, which healthcare should align with. The newly developed electronic Faces Thermometer Scale is a digital assessment scale that needs further validation before it may be recommended for self-reporting pain intensity. Aims: The study aimed to determine the convergent and discriminant validity of a new digital pain assessment scale in a pediatric postoperative setting. Methods: The study was performed at a pediatric surgery department in southern Sweden. A total of 88 children were included, generating 716 assessments. Convergent validity was established by comparing the well-validated Colored Analogue Scale and Faces Pain Scale Revised with the electronic Faces Thermometer Scale. Pain assessments were conducted at three different time points: one before surgery, one once the participant became alert and aware, and one 30–45 min after the second time point. A p-value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Discriminant validity was established by comparing a potential non-painful situation with a painful situation using the electronic Faces Thermometer Scale. Results: The agreement between the scales at different time points, as well as across different ages and gender, showed a statistically significant correlation: Kendall's Tau B correlation coefficient varied between 0.61 and 0.79 at different time points. The electronic Faces Thermometer Scale was able to discriminate pain across different age groups and genders. There was a statistically significant difference between pre- and postoperative assessments, and the Clopper–Pearson proportion ranged from 0.70 to 0.90. Conclusions: The electronic Faces Thermometer Scale provides a valid digital scale for self-report of pain within pediatric postoperative care.</p>}},
  author       = {{Höök, Angelica and Hylén, Mia and Björk, Maria and Nilsson, Stefan and Bai, Jinbing and Berlin, Henrik and Hansson, Helena and Kristjánsdóttir, Gudrún and Roxner, Rikard and Stenström, Pernilla and Castor, Charlotte}},
  issn         = {{1155-5645}},
  keywords     = {{e-health; pain assessment; pediatric; validation postoperative}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{1029--1036}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Paediatric Anaesthesia}},
  title        = {{The Electronic Faces Thermometer Scale (eFTS)—Construct Validity for Pain Assessment in Pediatric Postoperative Care in Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/pan.70056}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/pan.70056}},
  volume       = {{35}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}