Psychometric properties of the non-communicating children's pain checklist-revised

Abstract

The non-communicating children's pain checklist (NCCPC) has displayed preliminary validity and reliability for measuring pain in children with severe cognitive impairments (Dev Med Child Neurol 42 (2000) 609). This study provides evidence of the psychometric properties of a revised NCCPC (NCCPC-R) with a larger cohort of children. Caregivers of 71 children with severe cognitive impairments (aged 3–18) conducted observations of their children using the NCCPC-R during a time of pain and a time without pain. Fifty-five caregivers completed a second set of observations. The score results on the NCCPC-R were: internally consistent, significantly related to pain intensity ratings provided by caregivers, consistent over time, sensitive to pain, and specific to pain. Analyses of children's individual scores indicated up to 95% of their scores were consistent. Receiver operating characteristic curves suggest a score of 7 or greater on the NCCPC-R as indicative of pain in children with cognitive impairments, with 84% sensitivity and up to 77% specificity. These results provide evidence of NCCPC-R having excellent psychometric properties.