Screening for Pain

• The American Medical Directors Association (AMDA) guideline, Pain Management in the Long Term Care Setting outlines questions that can be adapted to any population and used to detect pain in persons who are able to self-report such as:

1.  “Are you feeling any aching or soreness now?”
2. “Do you hurt anywhere?”
3. “Are you having any discomfort?”
4. “Have you taken any medications for pain?”
5. “Have you any aching or soreness that kept you up at night?”
6. “Have you had trouble with any of your usual day-to-day activities?”
7. “How intense is your pain?”

Routine screening must be considered:

1. On admission or visit with a health-care professional;
2. After a change in medical status; and
3. Prior to, during and after a procedure