Ask your patients to rate their pain, anxiety, nausea and dypsnea.

Our experts on pain and symptom management can help.

Assessing Pain and Symptoms

Ask about:

Intensity—what number on the scale?

Quality—is the pain aching, burning, stabbing or sharp?

Onset—when did your symptoms start?

Duration—how long do they last?

Variation—do they change?

Expression—crying, moaning or grimacing?

Factors—what alleviates them? what aggravates them?

ADLs—how do they affect your daily routine, emotions, etc.?