Practicality of external assessment tools

Inadequate treatment of pain in patients who are no longer able to communicate is a major problem in nursing homes and care facilities. External assessment tools for measuring pain can make a significant contribution to easing the daily burden of care. However, they must be easy to use in order to be effective. In this study, three external assessment tools, BESD, BISAD and ZOPA, were evaluated on the basis of an empirical survey. A sample of n = 157, consisting of nursing assistants and qualified nurses, was surveyed using a questionnaire on practicality.