The Norwegian Doloplus-2, a tool for behavioural pain assessment: translation and pilot-validation in nursing home patients with cognitive impairment

Background: Pain assessment is challenging in cognitively impaired (CI) patients due to inadequate self-report skills and observational ratings are an alternative. The Doloplus-2 is developed for pain assessment in the Cl and rates somatic, psychomotor and psychosocial behaviours as indicators of pain. Aims: To translate the Doloplus-2 into Norwegian, to test the Doloplus-2 with regard to criterion validity and to obtain the administrators' evaluation of the clinical performance of the Doloplus-2. Methods: Nurses at three nursing homes, in collaboration with two research assistants, administered the Doloplus-2 to 59 patients with dementia. The results were compared against experienced clinicians' pain ratings. Regression analyses were performed to explore each different item's contribution to the total pain score. The administrators also completed a debriefing questionnaire. Results: The instrument was translated according to international guidelines. Regression analyses demonstrate that the Doloplus-2 score accounts for 62% (R-2) of the expert score and that the four most informative items could explain 68% of the expert score. Analyses of the different Doloplus-2 items indicate that facial expressions explain most and social life least of the expert's pain ratings. The administrators reported that Doloplus-2 was helpful and easy to administer, but questioned the validity of the psychosocial domain. Conclusions: The Norwegian Doloplus-2 demonstrates satisfactory criterion validity and clinical value in this pilot study. However, the content of the instrument needs a general re-evaluation, especially with regard to the psychosocial items.