Chronic pain patient's acceptance and satisfaction with their analgesic medication. Development and validation of the QAMPAS questionnaire

Background. A newly developed questionnaire to measure the satisfaction of chronic pain patients with their analgetic treatment is introduced. Methods. Based on pilot studies, a multidimensional questionnaire (QAMPAS) for the measurement of patient satisfaction was developed. In addition to a module on general patient satisfaction, it includes two specific modules with regard to medical treatment using tablets and transdermal systems (patches). In a validation study the questionnaire was administered at two measurement points to ambulatory chronic pain patients. Results. The QAMPAS subscales possess satisfactory psychometric properties. Medication-specific satisfaction shows a well-differentiated multidimensional structure. With minor limitations, correlations with the general patient satisfaction module and the SF-36 and BPI subscales indicate it to be a valid instrument. Conclusion. The QAMPAS questionnaire is a standardized instrument with satisfactory psychometric properties for the measurement of patient satisfaction with their analgesic treatment.