The Sensation and Pain Rating Scale: easy to use, clear to interpret, and responsive to clinical change.

Abstract

Background: The Sensation and Pain Rating Scale (SPARS) allows rating of non-painful as well as painful percepts. While it performs well in the experimental context, its clinical utility is untested. This prospective, repeated-measures study mixed qualitative and quantitative methods to examine the utility and performance of the SPARS in a clinical context, and to compare it with the widely used 11-point NRS for pain.

Methods: People presenting for outpatient physiotherapy (n = 121) provided ratings on the SPARS and NRS at first consultation, before and after sham and active clinical interventions, and at follow-up consultation. Clinicians (n = 9) reported each scale's usability and interpretability using Likert-type scales and free text, and answered additional questions with free text. Each data type was initially analysed separately: quantitative data were visualised and the ES II metric was used to estimate SPARS internal responsiveness; qualitative data were analysed with a reflexive inductive thematic approach. Data types were then integrated for triangulation and complementarity.

Results: The SPARS was well received and considered easy to use, after initial familiarisation. Clinicians favoured the SPARS over the NRS for clarity of interpretation and inter-rater reliability. SPARS sensitivity to change was good (ESII=0.9; 95%CI: 0.75-1.10). The greater perceptual range of the SPARS was deemed especially relevant in the later phases of recovery, when pain may recede into discomfort that still warrants clinical attention.

Conclusion: The SPARS is a promising tool for assessing patient percept, with strong endorsement from clinicians for its clarity and superior perceptual scope.