Key Findings
- Purpose Evaluate preliminary validity of a daily functional status pain assessment (FSPA) tool for adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) during vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs), with the aim of enhancing discharge readiness assessment.
- Population 503 observations from 175 admissions of 88 patients with SCD.
- Headline Result The FSPA score correlated highly with how intense patients rated their pain. It distinguished well patients who could not function from those who could. Scores on each of the 10 FSPA questions varied together in the same direction, so the scale seemed to describe 1 concept.
- Why It Matters Functional ability is a critical component of discharge decision-making. The FSPA tool offers a multidimensional measure that could improve clinical assessments and discharge decisions for VOC management.
- Evidence Gaps Multiple surveys were completed by some patients, but the analysis did not adjust for repeated measures; this may inflate correlations. It is a single-center study so generalizations may warrant further studies in larger, multicenter cohorts.