Comprehensive pain assessment systems and methods

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods are provided for simultaneous assessment of a subject's subjective and objective pain states. These include a dolorimeter arrangement for determining a subject's cutaneous pain tolerance level at any site on the body. In certain preferred embodiments, the dolorimeter is hand-held and utilizes a sonar distance-measuring device. In another aspect, the systems, devices, and methods of the current invention include platforms effective for implementing pain monitoring methods that include delivering pain questionnaires to patients over a period of time points. The platforms may harvest analgesic drug data from nurses attending the patients, and may provide simple statistical analysis of collected data useful both at the bedside and at central base-stations. The platforms may provide additional functions based on analysis of patient pain data. Preferred embodiments of the current invention combine the dolorimeter arrangement with the platforms for implementing pain monitoring methods.

1 . A method for monitoring pain of a patient, said method comprising: 
 a) providing a patient communication device;    b) providing a data processor capable of communicating with the patient communication device;    c) delivering a pain questionnaire to the patient at each of a series of time points using the patient communication device to generate pain questionnaire results;    d) communicating the pain questionnaire results to the data processor; and    e) processing the pain questionnaire results using the data processor, thereby monitoring the pain of a patient.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the patient communication device comprises a patient device microprocessor, wherein the communicating is performed automatically, and wherein the data processor is a separate processor from the patient device microprocessor.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising triggering an effector function based on the processed pain questionnaire results.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the effector function is selected from the group consisting of administering pain medication using a patient controlled analgesia controller, creating an output signal, gaining attention of medical personnel, signaling that patient attention is required, and signaling a patient.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the effector function is administering pain medication using a patient controlled analgesia controller.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the delivering of the pain questionnaire is performed at each of the series of time points by the patient without assistance of medical personnel.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the delivering the pain questionnaire is performed other than as part of a pain-stimulation or sensory stimulation procedure, and without stimulating a pain response in the patient.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pain questionnaire comprises a patient question method selected from the group consisting of a Visual Pain Analog Scale, a Visual Mood Analog Scale, a Pain Severity Scale and a Pain Relief Scale.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pain questionnaire comprises a Visual Pain Analog Scale, a Visual Mood Analog Scale, a Pain Severity Scale and a Pain Relief Scale.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the patient communication device is a personal digital assistant.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the patient communication device is a heat beam dolorimeter.  
     
     
         12 . A patient pain management system comprising: 
 a) a patient communication device comprising a patient device microprocessor effective for executing a pain questionnaire software application; and    b) a data processor effective for automatically communicating with the patient communication device.    
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  further comprising an effector device capable of communicating with the data processor, wherein the effector device is effective for carrying out an effector function.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the patient communication device does not include a function for stimulating a pain response in the patient.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the patient communication device is a hand-held device comprising a touch-screen and a microprocessor.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the hand-held device comprises a personal digital assistant.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the data processor is part of a hospital personal computer or computer server, and wherein the data processor is effective for at least one of storing pain questionnaire results in a database, graphing pain questionnaire results, or statistically processing pain questionnaire results.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the patient communication device is a heat beam dolorimeter.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the heat beam dolorimeter utilizes a sonar ranging sensor.  
     
     
         20 . A patient pain management system comprising: 
 a) a hand-held patient communication device comprising a patient device microprocessor effective for executing a pain questionnaire software application utilizing a touch screen; and    b) a data processor effective for automatically communicating with the patient communication device and graphing or statistically processing pain questionnaire results.