Digital pain assessment: Patient and family perspectives

Authors/Creators

• Rosemary Saunders, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
• Kate Crookes, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
• Kaoru Nosaka, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
• Olivia Gallagher
• Jeff Hughes
• Caroline Bulsara
• Max K. Bulsara
• Seng Giap Marcus Ang, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
• Beverley Ewens, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
• Sue Haydon
• Karla Seaman, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
• Renée Graham, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
• Debra Scaini
• Karen Gullick
• Michelle Gay, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
• Christopher Etherton-Beer
• Renée Graham, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow

Author Identifier (ORCID)

Rosemary Saunders: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6213-4694

Kate Crookes: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6887-6197

Kaoru Nosaka: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0100-1051

Seng Giap Marcus Ang: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2617-6261

Beverley Ewens: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2008-7214

Karla Seaman: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4611-9616

Renée Graham: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8725-0296

Michelle Gay: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9870-4985

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Pain is a common symptom for hospitalised older adults. Pain is not always adequately assessed, which can lead to inadequate pain management and adverse patient outcomes. Thus, new technology-driven pain assessment tools have been developed; however, little is known about patients’ and families’ experiences of nurses using them in acute care. This study aimed to explore the perspectives of older adult inpatients and their families’ regarding nurses’ use of the digital technology-driven pain assessment application PainChek^® Universal. Methods: A survey was undertaken as part of a stakeholder evaluation of a randomised control trial exploring the effectiveness of nurse-led volunteer support and technology-driven pain assessment in improving the outcomes of hospitalised older adults. The PainChek^® Universal application was implemented on two medical wards of an acute private hospital in Western Australia as part of a larger single-centre, prospective, non-blinded, cluster-randomised control trial. This stakeholder evaluation invited older adult inpatients and their family members to participate in a survey about nurses’ use of the PainChek^® Universal application for pain assessment. Results: A total of 96 inpatients and 27 family members completed the survey. Thirteen patients and nine family members provided additional feedback. Over 90% of patients and family members agreed that the use of the PainChek^® Universal application was a positive addition to pain assessments, rendered no concerns, and helped nurses complete pain assessments. A total of 84% of patients and 87% of family members felt PainChek^® Universal provided a more accurate pain assessment. Survey feedback related to PainChek^® Universal application use, integration of technology, and need for further education. Conclusions: The findings suggest that older adults and their families recognised the benefits of nurses using a digital application for pain assessments. Technology integration in healthcare must be accompanied by patient and family education.

Keywords

Aged, family, inpatients, nursing, pain, pain measurement, surveys and questionnaires

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

3-1-2026

Volume

16

Issue

3

Publication Title

Nursing Reports

Publisher

MDPI

School

Centre for Research in Aged Care / School of Nursing and Midwifery

Funders

Ramsay Hospital Research Foundation Grant

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Comments

Saunders, R., Crookes, K., Nosaka, K., Gallagher, O., Hughes, J., Bulsara, C., Bulsara, M. K., Ang, S. G. M., Ewens, B., Haydon, S., Seaman, K., Graham, R., Scaini, D., Gullick, K., Gay, M., & Etherton-Beer, C. (2026). Digital pain assessment: Patient and family perspectives. Nursing Reports, 16(3), 92. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep16030092